Beautiful Lies
by Lila Blue394
Summary: It all happened so fast the flare up and then this beautiful crystalline blue orb sprung up from nowhere and circled the body stretched out on the ground. Dark AU new chapter up finally :
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: **__I have NO clue where this idea came from. It just sorta happened about the time *sniffles* that Balthazar was *sniffle* killed by Cas. I just thought what would happen, if someone cared for him and saw him die like that. And well this was born from that idea. So far this is a one shot but it could turn into more if you all like it. So let me know what you think, I pounded the pavement for you guys on this one. _

_**A/N: **__the title is from the song with the same name. by Jaran and The Long Road To Love: Beautiful Lies._

_**A/N: **__Also a big shot out to all those that are following my stories. Seriously you all humble me thank you very much. And for you silently tearful a big thank you if it weren't for you I don't think I would write so much if it weren't for you!_

**_A/N: _**__(last one I promise) this is a reconstructed story, hope i fixed a few things, if you still something wrong please let me know, i am open to constructive criticism. __

**__**_**Suggested Listening: **__Rolling in the Deep By: Adele_

_/Beautiful Lies/ _

It's crazy really, he never thought he would be standing where he is standing, and with _whom_. Which if you really stop to think about it is ridiculous, of course it would be him standing near the doorway to purgatory with…well we'll just leave out that little fact till later shall we. Of course, it would be him waiting for this particular soul, to come through the gate. He looked down at the corpse she looked like some mummified Queen of Egypt, but he could tell that once upon a time, she had been _beautiful_. He waited for -the person who shall remain nameless- to finish the incantation, soon it would be over and she would be walking again. Now Balthazar isn't at all sure what the purpose is of bringing her back, but there _has _to be a good reason for it all right?

The incantation done he looked around wondering what was supposed to happen next, when a flare up of the molten lava sprung up out of nowhere. It all happened so fast the flare up, and then _this beautiful _crystalline blue orb sprung up from nowhere, and circled the body stretched out on the ground. Next thing he new he was at the blond side, as she gasped for air he had to take her hands in his, to keep her from clawing at her chest. "Breath in deep my dear, easy as one, two, three." she looked up at him her green eyes glittering with such strong emotion as she took his advise. "Thatta girl take it easy now." crooning to her as if he were soothing and newborn. In a way she was.

"She'll have no memory Balthazar, take her home and care for the girl."

* * *

><p>Lisa was all ready for this fight, even if at the moment it was clearly one sided, Dean didn't even know she had found the picture of the pretty little blond woman, with the shinning green eyes. She had no clue who this woman was, or why Dean had a picture of her hidden in his sock drawer. The picture was a bit worn for wear, but it was a well-loved picture at that. "Who is this?" she asks him. He's sitting down on the couch and she sets the picture down in front of him, on the coffee table just as she sits down on an armchair. She is watching him, so hard she doesn't miss the way his hand shook a little, as he picked it up. So carefully, as if he was afraid he might hurt the girl. His fingers dance across the woman's glossy face, and there is such <em>longing <em>in his eyes that it makes Lisa's heart want to split into two.

"Her name was Caroline…" she doesn't miss the way he said, "was" which could mean two things, one) she was dead or two) she was gone from his life never wanting anything to do with him again. (Something she was hoping for, she couldn't compete with a dead woman.) "Tell me about her." she says despite her brain screaming at her not to. She had a feeling like the time he crashed down and told her about Jo, and Ellen and the time he told her about Sam that, this was something he needed to talk about. "When it rains I smile because of her. She always reminded me of a rain storm." Lisa sat back in the chair and watched him, as he told his tale of a beautiful blond woman that loved him beyond reason. Of a woman that put herself in they way of a crazed, hunter all to save him.

* * *

><p>Balthazar walked into the room where his guest was currently residing, carrying a tray laden with eggs, bacon, toast, pancakes, orange juice. She was thin and frail looking. "Well so glad to see you sitting up my dear." he murmured seeing her sitting up in bed her knees up to her chest, a wild and scared look in her eyes. "Who are you…and for that matter who am I?" he could see trust slowly replacing that scared look in her eyes, and he was glad of it. There was something about this petite woman that made him feel strangely protective of her. "My name…" he says laying the tray down beside her. "Is Balthazar and yours is…"<p>

* * *

><p>Dean sat on the front porch watching the rain fall down in torrents. Life had been so quiet since he moved in with Ben and Lisa, but at times, it had also been <em>lonely<em>. He missed Sam and Bobby, and now thanks to Lisa he missed Caroline. However, if he was being truthful, he has _always _missed her. He had watched her die, watched the light fade from her green eyes. And if he was really being honest, he still saw her; she would be standing there by the Impala, the two most important women in his life all but forgotten. She would look at him that, half smile he loved creasing her face making her look more beautiful than he remembered. And the worst part of it all the part that made him want to crawl in bed and never come back out, was that she wasn't alone. She was never alone, she was always with Sam. His Sammy the baby brother he had lost to this damn war.

She would hop up on the trunk, her eyes bright as she smiled at Sam, a smile that was just for him. If people didn't know that they were brothers, a person could be fooled into believing that Sam and Caroline were brother and sister. There was a very deep bond between those two. Born from a life lived in the supernatural world, both being forced down a path neither one had counted on nor had wanted. But they bore it with a grace that so few people could ever possess. However, watching them was like watching a movie on replay, as if their echoes were all that was left of the only family he had ever had. Snarling at the unfairness of it all he tosses the wrench in his hand clear across the garage, scaring Ben shitless.

* * *

><p>"I…I was dead." she muttered her slim hands covering her face. To be honest the girl was taking it better than he thought she would. Telling her that she had died a year ago, and had been sent to purgatory, well most people wouldn't have taken it like she did. But then again, most people hadn't lived their lives in a world full of blood and loss. "Yes. Do you remember anything at all?" she shook her head and looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "No…nothing, should I?" well yes there was a <em>lot <em>that she should remember, a whole life to be precise. There were people that loved her that missed her, that had no idea that she was alive. He still wasn't quite sure why he cared so much, but all that was a moot point because he did care. _A lot actually_. Something he noticed only she had managed to bring out in him.

"Can you tell me who I am?" he was told that he shouldn't tell her anything that he should keep mum on her identity…for now at least. However, looking at her now, and seeing that lovely thing called trust brimming in her vibrant green eyes he couldn't _not _tell her. "You were a girl once so young and sweet. You had a life, and people that _loved _you."

* * *

><p>"Look, I can't even pretend to know what you're going through here Dean." Lisa murmured as she watched Dean. He was sitting on the couch again gripping a glass of scotch in his hands. He was holding it so tight his knuckles white, and she didn't know how the fragile glass could withstand the force. "But if you ever…ever scare my son like that again, your ass is <em>gone<em>." He grunted as if he was listening, but she was sure he was very far away at the moment. Still when she walked away, she knows he heard her because hurting Ben was the _last _thing he ever wanted to do. The thing she _regrets _is bring up that woman.

She walks into the kitchen and pours herself a glass of wine. She knew what she was getting when she had opened her door and saw him standing on her doorstep, looking broken beyond repair. She had stood by him, helped him stitch himself back together. She had held him through the nightmares, loved him in his darkest nights. Even she knows there are just some hurts a man could never get passed. Hearing him tell her about Caroline had proved a point. He had wounds that even she couldn't heal, wounds that would never heal properly, wounds that lay open oozing blood, wounds that with every passing day was like pouring salt into it. Lisa was right; there was _no way _she could compete with a dead woman.

* * *

><p>Balthazar sat at his desk twirling a glass of scotch in his hand, as he watched his guest stroll about the library. Her nimble fingers dancing across the spines of his books. He had found that the girl had a love for books. Her hair was down, falling in loose curls down her back, <em>like a waterfall<em>, her lips were quirked in a semblance of a smile. Something inside, told him that when she really and truly smiled, it was going to knock him clear on his ass. "I've googled myself." she says looking at him her cheeks tinted red.

It was entirely his fault he grinned, a flashing of teeth. Sue him, she made Google sound dirty. "I didn't mean it…oh stop you!" she snapped playfully, slashing her hand through the air. "Well what did you come up with?" She stopped her procession through his library, walked over to him; she snatched his glass out of his hand. "Did you know I was missing?" He nodded; there wasn't much he _didn't _know about her. "Apparently," she murmured taking a sip of the scotch, "I'm from Mystic Falls, Virginia.""You also handle that very fine scotch might I add." She smiled at him, a smile that was a bit of a mixture of slyness and seductiveness. She had been with him for six months now and they had gotten very close. Not that he minded, but the good little angel on his shoulder kept prodding him to remember, that someone out there loved this girl, and would be ecstatic to know that she was alive. On the other hand, there was the bad angel, telling him that, that man had moved on -in no time at all- and he didn't know she was alive. Still at the end of the day, the good angel won out. It was grueling trying to behave himself.

* * *

><p>Dean stood there -in the house he shared, with Lisa and Ben- completely shell shocked, standing before him in all his six foot four glory was his baby brother. "Sammy?" Sam smiled at him in a way that of his. Crooked and self-deprecating. It has been <em>too <em>long since he has seen that smile. "Hey big brother." It didn't take long, half a second at most, and their arms were around each other, hugging so tight it was a wonder they could breath. He fisted his hands in his brother's jacket, reliving the familiarity of it. God was he glad to have him back. Sam's first to pull away and he looks over his shoulder at Ben and Lisa his eyes narrow a bit, but he can see some happiness in there.

Sam always was a big Caroline and Dean fan, drove him nuts at times, and helped him when over that girl more times than he could count. However, even Sam couldn't argue with the fact that, as much as he hated it Caroline was dead, and he had to move on. It was either that or die. And if he had chosen that option, they both would have found away to come back and kick his ass. "Glad you took my advice brother." He shrugged not really wanting to get into here and now. _Maybe later_. "How is this possible, how are you here now?" Sam sighed and shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "It's a long story Dean; I still don't have all the details."

* * *

><p>He looks over the balcony, watching her as she moved about to a tune only she could hear. Her movements were graceful, unhurried. His mind was in turmoil as he watched her, he had been collecting souls for reasons of his own, reason he wasn't willing to share yet, and he knew soon someone would come for him, would find this place of solace he had here with her. And when they came, he knew they would find her. What would happen when she saw them, what memory would come back? Would she leave him, <em>could <em>he let her _go_?

She stops suddenly, as if sensing that he was staring at her. She looks up her eyes shinning, there are other emotions playing around in them today. Once there had only been fear, then trust and lust. Now the emotion was deeper, stronger and it made him stop short. He gripped the glass tighter in his hand, as their eyes locked. He has never felt like this before never felt so strongly for a person before. He turns away and disappears, before he could do something he just may or may not regret. In doing so, he missed the hurt that flashed through her eyes.

* * *

><p>Dean was not what you would call a big <em>fan <em>of his newly brought back grandfather, and new family. Gwen wasn't so bad and neither was Mark, but he didn't talk enough for him to have formed an opinion on him. See the thing is even if he can't put his finger on it, there is just something about the old man that gives him the chills. He creeps him the _fuck _out to be honest. Even so, he could see why Sam latched onto him as he did. He was all they had of their mother, and could supply endless stories of the woman they had loved, but barely knew. Didn't mean that Dean would trust him. In fact, it meant the exact opposite.

However, he was forced just this once, to do what the old man told him to do. He was forced to play bait, which wouldn't be so bad if he hadn't looked out his kitchen window and saw his friend crashing to the ground. So being who he is without another thought, he got up and dashed out the back door Sam's shouts for him to stop, falling on deaf ears. It didn't matter, he was Dean Winchester and he would always -in hindsight- make rash and dumb decisions it's who he was. It was even worse when it was someone he cared for. That point could be proven, if you looked back almost two years ago, when Caroline had died.

Running towards his friend's house, he leaped over the fence separating their yard Sam hot in his heels, because if he was going to make a dumb decision then Sam was going to have his back. He kicked the door down hollering all the way, "Charlie! Sarah!" he yelled running through the house. Of course, he received no answer. Running through the lower half of the house, he searched his gun raised as he scanned for any threat. Sam was right behind him breathing heavily, and Jesus the sound was good to hear. They moved into the kitchen, where he was the first to find the bodies of the friends he had cared about. "Damn it!" he snarled. "Dean it'll…" but he cut off his brothers promises, before they even had a chance to form. "They were good people Sammy! Tell me…please tell me how this is going to be okay."

* * *

><p>She found him in his study again. It wasn't hard; there weren't many places that he could hide from her. He had a certain…smell, his scent was so different from anything else that, it made finding him all that much easier. She glided up the stairs walking slowly to the room he prefers above all the others. He had been avoiding her since that day he had caught her dancing with herself. She didn't understand why he had left like that, why he keeps pushing her away. Yes he has told her about her past, about the man that loves her, but she doesn't remember him only Balthazar. He haunted her days, crept into her dreams, leaving her breathless and <em>wanting<em>.

The thing of it she knows he wants -what ever this is, building between them- it to. She can see it in his glorious blue eyes, in the way he looks at her and in the way, he smells. She reaches for the doorknob silently not bothering to knock, or announce her presence. She doesn't need to anyhow he knows she's here it's only the two of them here, except for the few occasions when he does receive visitors which, isn't very often. She can't see him over the high backed chair but she knows he's there, can see his arm his hand that, grips the ever present glass of scotch in a white-knuckle grip.

"Tell me something." she murmurs coming up behind him. He doesn't acknowledge her, but she knows he heard all the same. "Why have you been avoiding me? You don't seem the type to avoid anything." It was true for the last six months or so any problem that had popped up, he had face it with a straight forwardness that was admiring. "You don't know me very well my dear, I avoid a great many things." he says finally turning to look at her. She cants her head, her blond hair falling over her shoulder as she eyes him. All of what he said could be true, but she doubts it. "Mhmm…so why are you avoiding me?" she saunters toward him and hopped up on his desk. Crossing one leg over the other, she smiles at him slow and seductive; she was going to get him to face the issue at hand, even if she had to make him.

However, he surprises her, in one swift movement he was on his feet, his hands fisted in her hair, her clasping his jacket as his lips crashed down over hers. Moving with a fierceness that took her breathe away. Good thing she didn't need to breathe, huh. His hands release her hair and slides down her back, as he slowly pressed her body into the desk. She knew his kisses would be sweet and tender, but he was holding back. She wanted that passion she could sense, it was just under the surface, a wildness she knew would burst forth. If he would just let go, she set about getting him to do just that. And when that wildness burst free, she gloried in it, gloried in _him._


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N: **__a thank big thank you to Voodooman, thank you for your alerts. I think it's a great honor especially since I love your Caroline/Dean stories! And to prettygal456 thank you both so much! Also I just found out that my story December Storm is in a community! Excuse me while I squeal with joy…but enough is enough onto the next installment of Beautiful Lies. This one is going to be a bit sad and a bit happy I hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoy writing it…seriously this is really fun!_

_**Suggested Listening: **__Blackout by Breath Carolina _

_/And I'm on my knees/_

She is not expecting it when it happens, and there is a small part of her brain wondering _why that is_. All they have had is ups, there was bound to be a crashing down eventually. Its night when it happens and she walking about the upper levels of the house, her bare feet slapping against the wooden floors. She is still on cloud nine from -whatever this was between them- this morning. _He had kissed her! _And well done a great deal of other things, smiling at the memory of his blue eyes looking down at her, as if he was searching her _soul_.

She was also experiencing a pang of insecurity. She was a monster and went to purgatory, he was an angel and not a small part of her thought she was just deluding herself. How could things ever work out between them, she was a creature of the night, he walked in the day in the light of God? _How can I ever measure up to that_? "Caroline my dear." he murmured walking up to her. He sounded calm, but the frantic look in his eyes belied that. He gripped her by her upper arms, his eyes locking onto hers with laser focus. "Balthazar…what is it?" she ask her hands coming to rest on his forearm.

He looked around them as if he was expecting someone to just jump out, and throw a net around them. "I need you…I need you to do something for me." of course she would do anything for him and she told him so. "I need you to lock yourself in your room and stay put." _except that_. "Why what's wrong?" He wouldn't explain, just popped them into her room closing the door behind him, as he left and then locked it. She ran towards it her fists beating down on the wood. "Balthazar!" she hollered, pounding the door, completely confused on why he would do this. "Let me out!" he was still there, still standing on the other side of the door. She could still sense him, still smell him. She could smell his confusion mingled with fear, but she had no clue where it was coming from. _"I'm sorry darling but this is for your own good." _She growled in frustration, what was for her own good, what the hell was he talking about! _"This isn't your fight." _with that he left her banging against the door, screaming his name. _The asshole!_

* * *

><p>Dean looked at his friend Cass and his brother it had been a long road getting here a road that included finding out that angel's trade in souls -who knew- and that Cass, could actually bring himself to torture someone. However, they were here now at the compound of an angel that was supposed to be dead, but was alive. "Here you'll need this." Cass says handing them each an angel-killing blade. "Do you expect that much trouble?" Sam asks eyeing the blade he held loosely in his hand. "With Raphael and Balthazar?" Cass asks to himself mostly.<p>

The angel shrugs his shoulders before answering. "One never knows." Dean rolls his eyes; the damn angel could be a bit frustrating at times. Cass gives the distraction as they battle their way through, it wasn't so bad, and angels are only a little harder to kill than demons. _Just a bit brighter_. He was first to make it into the compound, Sam right behind him. He looks around for a moment because seriously if he thought the place was mega watt, before its much more on the inside. "Hello are you looking for someone?" Dean spun around and saw Raphael standing there his blank face, still managing to look smug. Therefore, Dean being Dean answered in kind. "Yeah dick with wings. What's it to you?"

Raphael's laugh was deep and menacing, but it didn't bother him much he faced hell loosing Sam and so many others, and had come out on the other side with _most _of his sanity in tact. "Oh just…well never mind, simian you will find out soon enough." Dean looked at Sam for answers but his brother looked as confused as he felt. Cass tried sneaking up behind Raphael, the angel blade held high ready to strike, so they had to keep the dark skinned angel occupied for the time being. "I don't know why he acts like he has some being secret." Sam murmured shaking his head acting like this conversation wasn't weird enough. Like it was something normal.

"I mean what could he possibly know?" Dean cast his eyes toward the smug angel. He is not sure _what _he knows, but it was _something_. He could see it burning deep within the dark chocolate eyes. Cass was close enough know and moved to strike but Raphael turned in a swift movement and sent Cass flying into the staircase. With his other hand, he kept Dean and Sam in place. "You know Raphael, it isn't nice to come into someone's home, and throw around people he cares about." while keeping the three of the pinned to the spot, Raphael turned slowly. "Balthazar…" the dick angel murmured slyly, "how is your…_guest_?" The new comer stopped short his blue eyes going guarded. "I suggest you let my brother and his friends go." Raphael laughed short and ominous. "Maybe I should tell them about her. _Shall I_? They will find out soon enough, and they won't be pleased. You know what they do to people that piss them off."

* * *

><p>With a frustrated grunt, Caroline kicked the door sending chunks of it flying. She planted her hands on hips and tried to formulate a plan. She had to get out of here, had to help him…somehow. Granted she had no clue what was going on down stairs all she could hear were the muffled sounds of a fight. She tilted her head back smelling the air around her. She could smell two more angels and…was that…there were humans here. Running over to her closet, she pulled out a pair of pants and grabbed socks from the drawer. Roughly pulling on the pants, she hopped around on one foot while pulling on the socks. Once she was done, she grabbed her boots and put those on as well.<p>

Dressed in jeans and still wearing Balthazar's shirt and jacket she put her fist through the door cringing as the wood pierced her skin. Sighing when the door still wouldn't budge, she rammed it with her shoulder and almost went flying from the force of her impact. She regained her composer and ran for the railing, looking down on the lower level she saw a man with dark hair being held down to the ground by a dark skinned man. However, everything changed to fast, one minute the man with eyes the color of an azure sea, was looking up at her -almost as if he knew her- then the man holding him turned into a pile, of what looked like salt.

Balthazar was agitated more so than usual, moving a little more to the left she could see more of the foyer, saw him surrounded by a ring of fire. She saw red. Not caring one wit about what could happen to her; she threw herself over the railing and landed just inches away from him and the fire. She landed in a crouch graceful as a cat; she eyed the three strangers who were now eyeing with a whirlwind of emotions in their wildly different eyes. The man -correction the other angel- looked at her with the same look he had a moment ago. The taller one with the deepest and oh so caring hazel eyes, looked at her as if she were a dream. Then there was the green-eyed man. His eyes just a shade lighter than hers, flecked with gold like leaves of fall in a lake. He looked at her as if she was a ghost, not a ghost that had just decided to pop up and say hi but one he had been seeing for a while now.

"Balthazar?" she asks standing up slowly, trying to stop her world from spinning. "What do you remember dear?" His tone is sad, but resigned as if he had been waiting for this day. Waiting for the day, she would _remember_. "Nothing…I…are you alright?" She asks as she hesitantly turns towards him, the flames go's out like it was never even there, and in no time her hands on his face making him look at her. "Balthazar what is going on?" his lips thin and he puts his hands on her waist popping them out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Someone want to tell me what is going on." Dean demanded his ton low and dangerous. Sam had heard that tone before many times in fact, things were about to get very ugly if someone didn't explain now. Not that he could blame his brother, it was kind of a shock to see…to see Caroline standing there with Balthazar. There was one thing he hoped he could avoid though, and that was the look that had been so bright in her green eyes. She cared for the angel, and as more than a friend. <em>What would that do to Dean<em>? Sure, his brother had moved on -_sort of_- with Lisa. However, this was _Caroline _the same girl Sam had watched Dean almost destroy his life for when she had died.

"I…I am unsure Dean. But as soon as I am able, I will find out what I can." They grew silent as they waited for the two to come back that is if they came back. She had looked at them as if she didn't know who they were. Could that be possible was she brought back like him, but with no memory of her _life _from before? The big question here was, how was she brought back and _why_? The two weren't gone long and when the reappeared Caroline eyes were red-rimmed like she was crying, but there were no trace of tears on her cheeks. Balthazar held a bag in his hand and she gripped the edges of coat that was to big for her around her like a shield. The angel didn't say anything just looked at her, but she shook her head telling him a silent no.

Balthazar sighed and walked over to Dean and handed him the bag, "Take her home with you. She doesn't remember anything so you'll have to go slow." he stops not looking any of them in the eye, as he turns back to Caroline who is now crying openly. "It couldn't have lasted my dear, you know that. Go home with your _family_." with that he was gone again, but Cas followed. Sam on the other hand decided to walk over to her slowly; as if he was afraid she would run away. "Caroline…my name is Sam. You used to call me Sammy, I…hated it, but…except when you called me that." she nodded and looked up at him her green eyes lost and confused.

"Come on I'll take you to the car and we will take you back to Bobby's." She looked so insecure like she did in those long ago days when, she had been a new vampire and so afraid that everyone would hate her. He held out his hand, and she hesitantly put her smaller hand in his. It felt so good to touch her again, to know that she was here and _alive_. _God he had missed her_.

Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he walked her out of the house when they were standing by the Impala, Dean just a few feet away carrying her bag she stopped and looked back at the house. There was such longing and fear in her expressive green eyes that it tore him in two. "You wanna sit up front?" he asks. He remembers when ever she had been tired or sick or just plain sad she would sit up front with them, Dean's hand gripping her thigh softly as he held her. However, that was…it was so long ago in the grand scheme of things. Things were just so different now. "No," she whispers, "I just want…I want to be by myself…well as much as I can." he nodded understanding her completely.

Dean walked around to the trunk, his face blank and unreadable, as he threw her bag in the back with that same single mindedness; he walked to the driver side and climbed inside. Sam opened the back door for Caroline and just before she climbed in Cass appeared before them. "I know you do not remember me. But we were good…yes good is the right word…friends." She just looked up at him with pain-filled eyes. "He wanted…my brother wanted you to have this. He said your old one was broken and he had this made for you." Cass gently took her hand turned it palm up, he dropped an antique ring into her palm.

Caroline let go of the jacket she had been holding in a death grip, with the other hand and clasped it over her mouth struggling, to keep in her sob. "Thank you Cass." he said for her helping her into the car. Ignoring her wishes for space, he climbed in right beside her.

* * *

><p>She was a <em>fucking<em> ninny it was simple as that. After all this time together, _after everything_, how he could just throw her away to people she didn't even know. She had read once "that when a heart breaks it don't break even" and its true, her heart feels like it has shattered into pieces, the edges not clean and smooth. However, jagged and sharp like the edge of a serrated blade. The Impala was silent, but she felt a little peace sitting in the back, the warm leather seats like an embrace from an old friend. She looked at Sam out of the corner of her eye, watched him as he looked out the window at the passing scenery. He had his hand over his mouth and he looked pensive. The other one -_Dean-_ kept looking at her in the rearview mirror, making her feel like she was being suffocated. She didn't know what he wanted from her, what he was waiting for her to say. She didn't remember him didn't remember the life she had, had before purgatory -heck, she couldn't even _remember _purgatory- before Balthazar.

Thinking of him made her look down at the ring on her ring finger. Her old one, the one that let her walk in the daylight, had been broken when she woke up in a cave, _his _sapphire blue eyes looking down on her. Now she had a new one, it was gorgeous, but not ostentatious the gem in the middle of the silver band as green as her eyes. Knowing him as she did he probably picked it just for that reason alone. She was heart broken and confused, she didn't understand why he had sent her away, why he just told her, it was for her own good, that she was cramping his style. He couldn't be the playboy he had wanted to be with her around. He had come to earth to practice hedonism to be free and do as he wished. Was that all she was? Just an experiment in hedonism? Did their time together mean more to her than it did to him?

"What happened to your old ring? The one Bonnie made for you?" Sam asks her quietly breaking the thrall on everyone. Dean jumped as if someone had hit him, and she just looked out the window tearing her eyes away from the reminder of him. "Is that who made it for me? Was she a friend?" she asks instead of answering him. She wasn't ready to go into details just yet. She wanted to keep the last seven months locked away in her mind and heart. "Yes to both questions. She was your best friend in fact. Do you really remember _nothing_?" she nods her mind is hazy like there are cotton balls clogging her memory. She does have flashes of another life though.

She does remember bright green eyes flecked with gold smiling down on her, she remembers laughter and fun. She remembers a pain so strong that it made her want to crumple to the ground and her chest burns as if something is stuck there. However, there nothing more than hazy thoughts like watching a fuzzy TV. She looks at Dean, his eyes are tight and so are the corners of his mouth. This is hard on him, she decided, and not a small part of her wanted to make this all better for him, why she had no clue. Sighing she closes her eyes and leans her head against the window feeling comforted by the cool glass. She figures she might as well get some sleep, maybe then she could get some peace, maybe then her head would just stop pounding like there was a construction crew working inside.

She got out of the Impala bringing Balthazar's jacket closer around her as she looked at the piles of junk cars, and the rambling house with the lights trying to shine through the dirty windows. There was just…_something _about this place, it was stirring up the snow showing her a path to follow. Something was telling her she knew this house, she knew the man that lived within. "Come on Bobby's waiting." Dean snapped as he charged up the steps and burst through the door. She looked up at Sam in question he just shrugged and murmured, "It's a lot to take in right now. You're supposed to be dead, and then we find you with Balthazar."

She didn't say anything to that, there wasn't after all much she could say, so she just nodded and followed Sam into the house. They walked into what looked like a study but could also be called a living room. It looked like Balthazar is just a bit mustier and scattered looking. She really had to stop that stop comparing everything with her time with him, that part of her life was over now and she had to restart. It was all going to be okay, it would be okay if that damn drilling in her head would just go away.

She had thought sleep would make it better, thought that she was just tired. Her hand crept up to cradle her forehead, trying to ease some of the pressure, it would have worked to, but she just had to look up into familiar blue eyes that were staring at her from under his trucker hat. Her hand reached to him god she knew him. How was that possible? Apparently the construction crew wasn't happy with her pace, so the sped it up by throwing dynamite her way. With just one word, the wall came crashing down around her. "Bobby…" with that she crashed to the ground.

* * *

><p><em>Not exactly happy with this ending but…shrugs…it works. Caroline will be getting back to Caroline soon next chapter. But expect more tears and fighting and a bunch more crap to be tossed everyone's way. And lets not forget that Dean still has Lisa. <em>


	3. Chapter 3

_**Suggested listening: **__Bluebird by Christina Perri _

_/This little bluebird, came looking for you/_

* * *

><p>"Tell me something." Castiel murmured as he came to stand next to him. He was standing in a corner of Bobby's run down kitchen, watching her as she stood on a counter, while she cleaned the window over the sink. "What is it you want little brother?" Castiel stopped looking at him, and looked at the object of his desire…no that's not the right word…distraction fit better. "What is she doing?" Castiel's tone was curious and filled with a bit of wonder as he watched Caroline lean at an odd angle to clean the window. "Driving that Bobby mad. He told her not to clean, and what does she do? Well I'll tell you she cleans." heaving a frustrated sigh he popped outside watching the rest of the little human freedom squad as they moved about. Minus one that is. Dean was off with his <em>new family<em>.

This should not be bothering him; this was all supposed to go away when he handed her over to those meddling Winchesters. _She was supposed to be happy_. But she didn't look happy, oh she was putting up a really good front but all one had to really do was look and they would see it blazing in her eyes. "Bloody Hell!" he muttered mostly to himself, but he knows Castiel heard him. "That brings me back to my point why did you make her leave?" Because he had to, she didn't belong with him, a rebel angel that could have anyone come after him at any given moment. It wouldn't be as bad as when Castiel had rebelled, but it would be bad enough, they would come for her just to get at him. He knew he couldn't live with himself if that happened. Not that he would ever tell that to his annoying little brother.

"Because I came here to sample this freedom you fell for, to see what the fruits of your labor had to offer." Castiel just stood there staring at him his eyebrow raised. "Then tell me why you are not out and about, choosing instead to come here and watch her?" Balthazar opened his mouth to deal a quelling response but the irritating little monster took off before he could. Sighing he watched as she came out of the house a dish rag in her hands, a smile playing about her lips. _This was all supposed to go away when she did_.

Dean takes the plate from Lisa and slips it into the water. Its such a domestic thing to do, and so easy to fall back into, but he can feel the call of the road again -not like it ever really left- and it makes his skin itch, with the need to get back out there and keep fighting. He wanted to get back out there with Sam with _her,_ but he had an obligation to Ben and Lisa, he couldn't leave them hanging. Couldn't let weeks go by and no word from him. He wouldn't be like his dad. Except there's a little voice in the back of his head niggling away at his brain, telling him that he was worse than his father was. Here he was building a life with Lisa when _Caroline_…when his feelings for _her _were so jumbled up, it was nothing more than a mess.

* * *

><p>He looked at Lisa feeling the guilt swell up he hasn't told her that Caroline was alive again, that she was back at Bobby's. He is pretty sure that is something he should tell her, something she shouldn't be in the dark about. "Lisa…" he says watching her as she stops dead in her tracks. This is why he didn't want to get into another relationship. He remembers how hard it was on Caroline, before she started traveling with them always, wondering if he was coming home, if today was going to be the day that he left and never came back. "Yeah?"<p>

"I have something I need to tell you." she looked at him her dark eyes wondering, but he could see the resignation in her eyes, could tell whatever it was he was about to say she had been _waiting _for this day. It was almost identical to the look Balthazar gave Caroline. That thought only served to make him angry. She had built a freaking life without him, and so what if he was conveniently forgetting the fact she had no memory. She…did she love that obnoxious angel? Was there something more between them? His phone ringing broke him away from his thoughts and effectively ended his conversation with Lisa.

"Hello…can't you…okay Sammy calm down…yeah give me a few hours…alright bye."

"You have to go don't you?" she asks not looking at him choosing instead to go back to the forgotten dishes. "Yeah…I uh…"

"I know Dean, be safe."

* * *

><p>Caroline bounced the crying baby on her hip shushing him and cooing nonsensical words to him. Poor little tyke lost his mother and now with strangers, she could only <em>imagine <em>what could be going on in his little mind. Realizing that bouncing on the hip wasn't working; she brought him up to her shoulder, patted his back, and ran her fingers through his downy soft hair. _Poor baby _they just kept calling him the baby not even bothering with a name. "He needs a name Sam." she whispers as the baby finally started to settle. "Mhmm what ever you want Care," she narrowed her eyes at him, she loved that man but he could just be so oblivious at times. He would make a great father one day if, he could just get his head out of his ass and books.

She leaned her cheek against the baby's downy head and whispered, "I think I'll call you Aidan." she always wanted a baby she could call that, but this was as close as she was ever going to get. Vampires -that she knew of, at least- didn't have babies. Sam finally looked at her he must have heard something in her tone because his eyes were all mushy and he his mouth opened as if he was about to say something. However, thankfully Dean had wonderful timing, just as he was about to speak the oldest Winchester burst through the door, effectively waking the baby and making him cry. "Damn it Dean I just got him to sleep!" she snarled and resumed what she was doing.

"Sorry princess." except he didn't sound very sorry. She gave a huff and walked away from the annoying brothers, sometime she wonders what madness came over her that made her want to be with them twenty-four hours and seven days a week. Then she remembers just what kind of madness it was and it stops her short. Her mind wondered as they started formulating a battle plan, she was glad that she had her memories back glad that she could remember Sam and Bobby and her old life. Now she just wished…she just _wished _she could forget _him _and those wonderful seven months they spent together. Sam had commented on how well she was handling this whole Dean and Lisa thing. She wasn't actually her mind was a whirlwind of crazy ass emotions that she would rather not be going through at the moment; she was confused about her feelings for Dean as she was with her feelings for Balthazar.

What was she supposed to do? She knows Sam like the back of her hand, and in saying that she knows that now that she was back and kicking it, he felt Dean and her should be together again. Only life doesn't work that way. If it could be so easy then she wouldn't be going crazy with all this mess, leaving her with the feeling they were headed for a melt down. Sam wasn't the only looking at her as if there should be something more happening between her and Dean. And it was all beginning to drive her nuts. She didn't know what she wanted anymore and that was so unlike her.

She was Caroline Forbes, vampire and fierce ass hunter damn it! She always knew what she wanted, and she went right out and got it. She wanted Dean, she had gone on a long campaign to get him, and she had won that battle. She wanted Bobby to get better after he stabbed himself to save Dean, and she went about making that happen as well. _Then there was Balthazar_. She wanted him to and she had eventually gotten him as well. However, the problem now was, she didn't know who she wanted Dean _or _Balthazar. Not like, they were making it any easier what with Dean having Lisa and Balthazar proclaiming his love for hedonism. Damn frustrating males! "When you grow up," she whispered to baby Aidan, "please don't go driving the woman half mad."

* * *

><p>Dean stood in the baby aisle of the grocery store trying -<em>and failing<em>- to find what was needed, for the newest addition dubbed -_by Caroline_- Aidan Forbes. He was trying and again failing to keep his mind focused, but it was hard when Caroline was near him, holding the little baby in her arms. She looked…she looked _good _holding that baby, looking all maternal. She never did admit her feelings on children but he knew she wanted them, she could never have them, but that didn't stop the wanting. He looked her way and thought that she looked so beautiful, standing there tossing various items into a cart Sam had procured.

The baby was fussing again and she bounced him in her arms, gently swaying from side to side when that didn't work, all the while, she was having some sort of argument with Sam. However, he couldn't hear what they were saying just saw their mouths moving. He was half expecting subtitles to show up, like in one of those old black and white movies. He shook his head and turned back to the shelves of baby formula he really needed to stop acting like a lovesick fool. _He had Lisa damn it_! Sighing in frustration, he ran his hand over his face, this was all supposed to be easy, it was supposed to fall into place and be as it was. _Why couldn't it be as it was_?"Oh what a cute little baby." Someone woman crooned. He turned to look at the three of them and older black woman smiling on Sam and Caroline as if they were the proud parents. "Your first baby?" Sam tossed Caroline a bemused smile. "Yes, isn't he adorable?" Caroline beamed down at the baby in her arms, her face screaming mother material. She ran her hand over his little face and Dean could swear the kid smiled up at her. "May I see him?" Caroline and Sam exchanged weary glances, her head already shaking. She was so unwilling to let someone else hold him. "No…thank you though." it happened so fast his head was spinning.

The woman reached for the baby and Caroline hissed her fangs descending as she spun away from the woman, scratch that shape shifter-it was hard to miss the thing when her eyes flashed silver. Sam pushed the woman away and he jumped into the fray trying like hell to get Caroline and the baby away from the grasping hands. They high tailed out of the store jumping into the Impala, he could hear Caroline's voice breaking as she cuddled the now screaming baby in her arms, humming a song that was mean to sooth_. It didn't help_.

* * *

><p>Sam paced back and forth; as Caroline held a now quiet baby -it was hard to scream, when he had a bottle in his mouth- she looked down adoringly at the baby in her arms. The baby in question was holding onto her finger, his little hand working hard at grasping the digit. Dean was just sitting there an odd look on his face as he watched his old girlfriend. This was all so messed up it wasn't as if they had enough on their plate now they had to deal with a shape shifter coming for the baby. Couldn't their lives be easy for just one moment did it always have to be so hard?<p>

"This little bluebird, came looking for you," She sang softly making him stop, Hell her voice could stop a charging rhino. And considering they were now back at the Campbell compound -all the Campbell's in residence- that meant that everyone heard her and stopped. Samuel looked at her the strangest look in his eyes as he watched the two of them, Gwen stood in place her eyes down cast as she fiddled with the ring on her finger. "I said we weren't even friends, she could have you," Mark put his head in his hands, "But it wouldn't have been such a lie 'cause then I started to cry." Dean looked away choosing to stare off into space and him…well he just stopped and out right stared.

There was such sadness in her voice mingled with a bit of _loneliness_. This was all so messed up and he hadn't been making it easier on her. He has been acting like a jackass. He just wanted everything to go back to normal, to have Dean and Care be together again. But, life doesn't work that way dies it? It just throws all this crap at you, eats you up and spits you out. Christian had called it a dog eats dog world, and boy was the man ever right. "This little bluebird, won't come 'round here anymore. So I went looking for her and I found…_you_." She finished softly, bringing the baby up and pressing her lips to the now sleeping child's forehead. Why couldn't they get what they wanted just this once?

"I was going to give him to Christian and his wife…" Samuel said as he came up behind him. He didn't even bother with an answer, Caroline had been adamant about that, and if it had just been him and Dean he wouldn't have even questioned it, but one look into his friends face and…well he just couldn't do it. "But seeing her with that kid…well she was right to fight for him." Sam turned and looked at his grandfather at that. That had to be the nicest thing the old man has said about Caroline since he met her. "Why are you saying this?" Sam just looked at him, at his _grandfather _as he stared at Caroline and the baby; his eyes were unfocused as if he weren't actually seeing what they were. He looked like he was seeing a ghost. He knows he has seen that look before on his fathers face, _and _on his brothers. The older man gave a shrug of his shoulders but he didn't answer just walked away. Then it all went to Hell in a hand basket.

* * *

><p>She doesn't know where that song came or why she was putting up such a fight for the little monster, but her heart just screamed at the thought of someone taking Aidan away from her. If anyone was going to raise him, sure it sure as Hell wasn't going to be Christian. However, she was positive that Bobby wouldn't be happy when she brought him there, considering the mess they would have to clean up each time he changed skin. The last time had been, well <em>just gross, <em>he just exploded out of his skin. But none of that matter she would take him home to Mystic Falls if she had to. But just as she was, beginning to let herself make plans, running her hand through his velvety hair the door burst open. Startled she jumped to her feet effectively waking Aidan trying to keep him calm while she took in the threat.

The big bad changed shape as it moved, fluidly changing skin without the mess, she backed up and hands catch her upper arms in a firm grip. She didn't jump, didn't move she knew those hands -_Dean_- so strong and sure, calloused from years of hard work. "Come on," He murmured just as Gwen went flying, her silver bullets going through the big bad daddy as if it was nothing. "Care! Dean! This way!" Sam shouted as poor Mark dropped to the ground his neck broken. She had actually liked Mark, just as Sam shut the door to the panic room; she saw Samuel go flying into a wall.

"Sshh Aidan its okay, I wont let him take you." she murmured holding him close. However, no matter what promises she made, she just knew that she was going to loose. Something in her bones, something that wiggled and moved around like a parasite, told her that she was going to loose the only baby she could have ever called her own. The big bad slammed into the door and Sam and Dean moved in front of her and the baby. After a few slams into the door the big bad strolls in, as if he owns the place demanding that she hand over the baby. "Fuck you!" She snarled. He threw Sam into a wall and held Dean by his throat, not even caring that he was turning blue.

"Give me the baby little one. I am so much older than you and can take him from you." She shook her head in refusal, she couldn't just hand him over to live with this monster he was just a baby. "He is my child little vampire, and he will be safe with me." she scoffed and looked at Dean; he was struggling to stay conscious. The big bad sighed, threw Dean down, and ripped Aidan out of her arms. "No!" she screamed and tried to lunge for him, but Dean had miraculously recovered and wrapped his arms around her middle. He just stood there stopping her from attacking the big bad_. Didn't he understand, she couldn't abandon him couldn't let him be taken_? What would happen to him out there in this world of monsters with only one way to live? _What would happen to him?_


	4. Chapter 4

_/It's The Weekend Bobby/_

_Part One_

Bobby looked up at Caroline as she worked on what he called an easy job, her hair put up and not a bit out a place. The girl looked like she belonged in a fashion magazine, not out here with the rust and grease, but try telling her _that_. He knew what she was up to, she was trying to keep herself busy after the baby fiasco, trying not to blame Dean for stopping her and…ah _hell _the girl was just trying to get back to who she was. She had a lot to take in she had to learn about Jo and Ellen, the apocalypse being averted and about Sam going to Hell to be Lucifer and Michael's plaything. She was dealing with it all pretty well or…very badly. It was hard to tell sometimes. Once upon a time, she had been like an open book -she still couldn't lie- life and its lessons had made her a bit more _cautious _than she used to be.

"Bobby your phone is ringing." she murmured, not even bothering to lift her head out from under the hood of the ford she was working on. "How in the hell do you know that?" she peeked at him a devilish smile on her lips lighting up her green eyes -its been far to long, since he has seen that _look_- as she tapped her greased stained finger to her ear. "Great hearing remember." yeah he remembers, just that sometimes it was so easy to forget what she was. "And before you ask, no I'm not answering it. It's probably Sam and Dean anyhow." she said dully, going back to work leaving him to answer the phone. Honestly, he thought it even more of reason for her to get the phone. Like he said she was trying to not blame Dean, but he didn't think she was having much success, _didn't help when that damn angel of hers never answered her calls_, he thought sourly as he walked into his house.

Sighing he jerked the phone of the hanger, "Hello…ha, ha very funny. Whatcha want? Mhmm…" he murmured looking down at his old worn down cp, thinking that claw looked familiar, and knowing he probably didn't have that particular book on hand. "Dean I'm kinda busy here." He really hoped Caroline hadn't heard that, while they had told her all that she missed -_mostly_- there was still one thing he hadn't bothered to tell her. "Fine," he sighed, "I'll get right on it." He hung up feeling frustrated, it wasn't that he didn't care for those boys, and it's not as if he wouldn't help them out of a jam, but he had his own shit here. And would it really kill them to ask instead of _demanding_. Heaving a frustrated huff, he spun around to go back outside and tell Caroline he needed to hit the library. She surprised him by standing there by the door, a thoughtful look on her face and a rag in her hands. "What's got ya so busy Bobby? I know it ain't me I'm just here to drive you nuts."

"_Balls!" _

Oh, who was the old man fooling? She had heard that -try to be stealthy- curse word, his favorite might she add, she was almost tempted to smile at him, but refrained. Ever since that talk they had about everything she had missed, she had, had this feeling he was keeping something from her, oddly enough it reminded her of the time when Dean had kept the fact that he was going to…_oh Bloody Hell! _"Bobby!" she snapped tossing the rag to the ground, "What the _hell_!" he threw up his hands in surrender. "I'm trying to get it back." She wasn't as placated as he was hoping for. "Sit and tell me _everything_." she hissed, there was no way he was getting out of this now no matter how hard he tried. And he did try. He gave her halfhearted excuses about how he had to find something for the boys, but she didn't care. They were grown men who didn't have their soul on the line, they could take care of themselves for a few hours and she told him so.

* * *

><p>Dean let out a frustrated growl neither one of them were answering their phones, he was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. He and Sam still had no <em>fucking <em>clue what this bloodthirsty monster was, and were no closer to finding out either. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and redialed Caroline's number finally having gotten used to her having a cell phone again. _"What?" _she barked into the receiver. "Hey what gives, you and Bobby don't answer your phones, and the first time I get you all I get is _what?_" he heard her huff of laughter it sounded bitter and there wasn't a trace of humor. _"Oh, excuse me I didn't realize, that _you _were the one that was going to be a hellhound's chew toy. Oh that's right it isn't you its Bobby!" _he had to take the phone away from his ear; her voice had risen in volume with each word she spoke. Starting out in an angry whisper until she was shouting in his ear.

"Caroline…can we not do this…" he never got to finish that statement. He very clearly heard that hiss that promised violence if he didn't shut the hell up and _now_. If there was one thing he hated about females was their tendency to get all emotional, for no reason Bobby had it all under control…_didn't he_? And since she was a vampire, her emotions were a bit heightened, not to mention all the crap she had gone through over the last few months. The fact that he hadn't been helping -at all- hadn't escaped him. He knows he has been sending her mixed signals, if he was doing it to Lisa then he was doing it to her as well. _"Oh do shut up! We're looking into your problem we're…" _she stopped mid sentence to whisper something to Bobby and he was sure he heard a very girlish squeal. "You're _what _Caroline?" he asked pinching the bridge of his nose. _"We're heading to the library now." _with that she hung up didn't even bother with a goodbye. He was sorely tempted to throw his phone at the door, but Sam walking threw it put a quick stop to that. "Pissed off at something?" _Sammy my boy you don't know the half of it._

* * *

><p>She hid her smile as they passed the blonde-haired woman who waved happily at Bobby, she couldn't resist stopping her argument with Dean to ask who she was. "Her name is Marcy." Caroline gave a little squeal, still ignoring Dean. "Ooo Bobby has a…" he sent her a quelling glare that stopped her in her tracks, didn't stop her from smiling though. She finished her argument with Dean and hung up on him, the annoying man that he was. Jesus he was sending her so many mixed signals these days the fact that she wasn't all that innocent in this didn't escape her, she just pretended that it didn't bother her. She didn't know what she wanted or what he wanted for that matter. She was still reeling from loosing Aidan. Granted he wasn't her baby, nonetheless she had fallen in love with the little guy, and she still thought about him.<p>

All the other stuff that was going on putting her on the borderline of crazy. That wasn't a good thing. Stefan had once told her that sadness could very easily turn to despair, that is if she wanted to keep the feeling switch on, and she very much did. Granted feelings sucked and they always seemed to hurt -more so these days- but she didn't want to become like Damon, so lost in that despair that he was two steps away from being a monster. Sighing she pushed away those thoughts and looked out the front window. They were close to the library now, just another mile or so. When they finally reached their destination, he looked at her a very serious look in his blue eyes.

"Stay here." Ha! _Not likely_. She climbed out when he did earning a glare in the process; she just retaliated by sticking her tongue out at him. The library was closed off, of course, which made him cuss, "Balls!" that made her smile. Since it was locked that meant they had to break in or…oh who was she kidding? They were going to break in. She walked around back Bobby following her when she reached the window farthest from the street she kicked it in, cleared out the glass so he wouldn't get hurt and watched as he rolled through landing on his back. "Balls!" he cussed again. This time however, she laughed outright.

It wasn't often she heard Bobby cuss; he didn't do it much in front of her, but that only meant he was stressed and who wouldn't be? She had heard quite a bit about Crowley, and she didn't think he was one of the few good demons. Yeah believe it or not there were actually some out there not many, but some. She slid through the opening next and helped him look for this particular book. Once they had it, they went strolling out the front door as if it was nothing; everything had gone off without a hitch that was until he couldn't get his old Chevy to start. He sat there a moment trying to get the engine to turn over until he had enough and slammed his hand into the steering wheel. _"Balls!" _she smiled sympathetically and patted his arm, silently telling him that it was okay.

"Just get out and do what you have to. I'll turn the key when you tell me." she slid over into the driver seat when he climbed out. Living with Bobby and Dean had given her some knowledge on cars, enough to work on some of the Ford engines -her favorite, and the bane of Dean's existence- but not on Bobby's beloved Chevy. No matter how much he loved her, he would kill her if she messed something up, she could never aspire to learn what Bobby and Dean knew she was too much like Sam for that. She watched him as he lifted the ancient hood and waited for the signal to try to start her up. It was a long time before they left the parking lot.

She couldn't sleep and Bobby wouldn't thanks to the dozen or so no-doze he had taken, hence why she was in his panic room. She had spent some time in here, not long but enough to make her cringe when she walked through the steel doors. Her eyes strayed to Bobby's desk littered with paper work, she strolled along to the bookshelf only half listening when she heard Bobby pick up the phone, and call someone -Dean or Sam most likely. He had found what they were looking for making her roll his eyes. Don't get her wrong she loves Sam, and to some extent Dean -even now, with everything all jumbled- but they could be so clueless sometimes. If she can tell that Bobby was stressed about this deal, then one would guess -taking in their feelings for him- that they would to, and do what they can to help.

Whatever she wasn't going to act as a conscience no matter how badly she wanted to, giving up on any sort of sleep she may or may not get, she walked out of the room and up the steps. When she reached the dining room she could see into Bobby's study/living room, what she saw made a small contented smile crease her face. Bobby Singer, hunter and salvager extraordinaire, was fast asleep his head in his hand and truckers hat askew. She walked over to him making sure her steps were quiet. He had, had a long day well several months truth be told, she slipped her arm around his back and gently lifted him he stirred as they walked, but it was a testament to how tired he truly was that he didn't wake. She laid him on the couch smiling again, when he made a snuffling sound, but burrowed deeper into the worn couch. Silly old man. Sighing she covered him up with a blanket and walked outside she needed some fresh air maybe that will help her sleep.

* * *

><p>Balthazar leaned against a broken down car as he watched her walk out of the house, her eyes looking straight out a contemplating smile playing about her mouth. She was obviously thinking about something and much to his dismay he really wanted to know what it was. "I know your there." she whispered softly, making him stand up straight. That wasn't the first time she had said something along those lines, and this isn't the first time he had thought that. <em>How in the hell did she know<em>? "I can smell you Balthazar…that and well…" she broke off a sheepish look coming over her face. _Say it, say it…_ "You change the very air around you."

She was quiet again her eyes cast upward and the good lord _help _him, but her eyes twinkled like the stars above. "What did I do?" she whispered now, whether it was to him or herself he didn't know. "What did I do to make you send me away?" A pause and the tip of her pink tongue darted out to lick her lips. "Is it because of what I am; was our time together nothing more than a dream?" _No_. Tears began to streak down her cheeks sparkling like tiny diamonds on her pale skin. "I just want…I want things…" she broke off with a heart-wrenching sob, it tore at him reached down inside to a place he didn't even know he had. Castiel appeared next to him, but before his brother could even utter a syllable, Balthazar took off. He couldn't watch her and listen to his brother as well.

* * *

><p>Castiel cocked his head to one side staring at the spot his brother had once stood. He didn't understand Balthazar, nor did he understand what his brother was going through. He never bothered with that particular human emotion, he felt <em>love <em>yes, but the love a man has for his family and people he considered thus. Never the deep binding love between a man _and _woman. Oh, he has witness it in his long life, but he never understood it, never understood why humans would put themselves through that pain. And there _was _pain involved, looking at Caroline like, he was now, he could see the pain clearly etched on her pale face, he had seen it in Balthazar as well. Shaking his head again, he took off answering Rachel's call, he needed to figure all this out.

* * *

><p>Bobby walked into the kitchen smiling at Caroline who was sitting at the table, mug of coffee in her hands. It was still dark out the sun at least had a few more hours before it would rise, and he had something important to do. "I have some business I need to take care of today." he murmured as he poured himself some of the dark brew, he liked having her here for the coffee alone. When she made coffee, it was actually drinkable and tasted good. "Yeah, like what?" He took a sip of the hot liquid contemplating whether or not he should come out and tell her, or keep it a secret.<p>

It wasn't as if he didn't mind her help…it was just that he was an old man, stuck in his ways. So used to never asking for help, but with Caroline one never had to ask it was usually forced upon. "I found a crossroads demons bones…from when they were human." he states, she looks up at him with wide green eyes. "And now you just need to find the crossroads demon? I thought that was a myth." So did he that was until he heard from a little birdie that it wasn't.

"So did I but apparently it isn't." she nodded returning her stare back to the mug in her hands. "Say when Bobby and I'll come with." And that right there was why he didn't want to tell her. He had already started shaking his head in denial. Couldn't the chit understand, they had just gotten her back, and he for one wasn't willing to loose her again? No matter the fact of what she was, that didn't matter a demon could very well…she never let him finish that thought. "Bobby," she murmured standing up to look him in the eyes. Green eyes so focused so determined, he forgot what it was like to come up against her strong will. It almost made him feel sorry for Dean and that angel. "I'm a big girl; I can take care of myself. That and if you try to sneak off without me, I will hide in the trunk of your car. Don't think I won't you know I will." Oh yeah he knew, it wasn't the first time she had made that threat, and it wouldn't be the last time if she followed through. So really what other option did he have?

He waited for Caroline to disappear in the night, a shovel in her hands -_what was up with them and shovels_- he would do the ceremony once she was out of sight. Sighing he gathered everything he needed and put it into a metal box. _This whole crossroads thing was getting a bit old_. He dug a hole into the ground smack dab in the middle of the crossroads; once it was buried, all he had to do was wait. It didn't take long, a tall leggy brunette with dark skin and dark eyes were greeting him. She looked so human, that was until she smiled and her eyes flashed red. "Well, well Bobby Singer, didn't you already sell that pathetic little soul of yours?" No he didn't sell it he put it out on loan. He was just stabbed in the back by a damn nasty demon. He grinned at her slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat, doing his best not to watch Caroline as she snuck up on the unsuspecting demon.

"So what do you want old man?" He smiled at her more feral than nice. "I want my soul back." he says pulling the bottle of holy water out of his pocket, he sprayed the demon in the face causing her to bend over in pain, her flesh burning and sizzling. She stood up her face still smoking, but before she could utter a word Caroline swung that shovel upside the demons head. The demon crumpled to the ground. "Nice swing." he commented as he moved around to slip his hands under the demons arms, Caroline grabbed the ankles. She beamed up at him her eyes bright with excitement, "Thank you Jeremy taught me that, told me all I had to do was think about someone I was mad at, and it would come naturally." He just shook his head, not having anything to say to that as they carried the body to the trunk. The damn girl could be so bloodthirsty sometimes.

* * *

><p>Caroline wanted nothing to do with what was going on downstairs -<em>she had, had enough torture thank you- <em>she sat up startled by the stray thought, where the hell did that come from? Shaking off the thought not willing to look deeper into it she turned the TV up, trying to drown out the screams coming from the basement. It was good thing he lived out here in the middle of nowhere or else someone would have called in the FBI. Wouldn't be the first time they came here, but she would personally love to avoid a repeat of that. Thanks to her superb hearing, she heard the little knock on the door through all the noise. Shutting off the TV, she walked to the front door.

When she opened it, she was surprised to see the blonde-haired woman from yesterday. "Oh…" the woman -_what was her name oh that's right_- Marcy looked surprised to see her standing there. "Hello, can I help you?" Marcy looked ready to bolt, but Caroline couldn't understand why. "I was looking for Bobby Singer, but if he's busy I'll come back later." Marcy gave her thoughtful look that Caroline had recognized before. _And ew, _resisting the urge to roll her eyes she smiled -didn't this town learn anything.

"No…no uncle Bobby isn't busy." she registered Marcy's grateful smile before she turned around and hollered for Bobby. Just as the demon screamed. _Nice timing, _she mused with pursed lips. "Uncle Bobby! Turn down that racket! You have a guest." She turned to look back at Marcy, who looked down right startled by the scream. Caroline gave a shrug of her shoulders, "What can I say he likes horror movies." Marcy beamed, "Oh really have you seen 'Drag Me to Hell?'" Caroline shook her head; "Um no trying to avoid that one." The woman actually looked disappointed. She was saved from any more horror flick questions when Bobby strolled up to the door. "Well I'll just leave you two alone."

* * *

><p>Bobby focused on Marcy and the cobbler -<em>that smelled so good<em>- in her hands. "What are you doing here Marcy?" His neighbor gave a little huff, as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "How long have we been neighbors Bobby Singer?" she asks looking up at him a bit coyly. "Six months or so." he said a bit evasively, if truth be told he noticed the woman the day she moved in. However, other pressing matters had come up and well…everything else just fell to the wayside. "I barely see you." They both jumped when the demon downstairs screamed, "Help me." "Uncle Bobby I told you to turn that movie off." Caroline muttered. When did that girl become such a good actor? "I'll got shut it…erm I mean turn it off for you." What did he say about her being a good actor? Yeah never mind scratch that.

"Your niece was telling me that you like horror movies." He nodded seemed like a good enough excuse, considering there was someone downstairs that belonged in a horror flick. "Uh huh, guilty pleasure." he murmured taking the cobbler -did he mention that it smelled good- she was handing over. "Have you seen 'Drag Me to Hell'?" He shook his head. He will never understand why someone would make a movie about that. It just hit to close to home, what with almost all of them having visited that not so nice and very hot place. Except that is for him and Caroline, and he had one foot in the door and she had been to purgatory. Well now weren't they a bunch. "No trying to avoid that one." Marcy's brow came down in a little frown. "Funny thing your niece said the same thing." _Yeah she would. _"I don't understand why it's fantastic. Come over tonight, I'll fix you dinner and whip up a batch of my famous white chocolate popcorn and we'll watch it."

That sounded so appealing, and the thing is he wanted…he _really _wanted it, but…he just _couldn't_. "That sounds super Marcy, but…I can't." she looked a little taken back, but not deterred, she reminded him of someone -he just couldn't put his finger on who. "Okay no worries, uh one other thing." she said her greenish blue eyes wide. "My wood chipper it's a piece of crap and I heard you were pretty handy. You think you could come and take a look." He could do that, it was nice and easy with no strings attached right. "Sure thing, I'll see what I can do." She smiled at him; it was mega watt and very nearly knocked him on his ass. "Oh…okay I'll uh see you then." They shook hands albeit a bit awkwardly, he watched her leave a smile playing on her lips.

He lifted the cobbler to his nose smelling the intoxicating scent, she was inordinately proud about the cobbler and if it tasted as good as it smelled then he could see why. Damn he was sorely out of practice, it wasn't such a long shot, the last time he had flirted or had a real conversation with a woman that wasn't Caroline or another hunter…well he couldn't remember. "Ooo…Bobby and Marcy sitting in a tree k-i-s-s…" he cut Caroline off -and where did she come from- with a glare. "Finish that statement and I won't let you have any cobbler." Her face twisted in a petulant pout. "Aw Bobby you never let me have any fun." She laughed and walked with him into the kitchen. He sat the cobbler down on the counter, and just as he was about to cut into it the phone rang. He heaved a weary sigh and turned to answer it, but she beat him to the punch answering with a cheery, "Special Agent Willow." And that's how the rest of the day went.

* * *

><p>She sighed plopping down in an armchair just as Bobby plopped down on the couch; they both had a glass of much needed rotgut in their hands. It had been one long day, filled with torture and phone calls. Between all, that there had been the cars that needed fixing, of course the day wasn't over yet, they still had a few good hours of sunlight left. They both groaned when they heard a knock on the door. Heaving herself up off her ass she decided to get it before Bobby could, the man needed the rest and she needed to be kept busy. Drowning her drink in one gulp, she sat it on the table before walking over to the door. "Rufus!" she squealed when she opened the door, revealing the older black man that she dearly loved. Not as much as Bobby, but enough. She jumped him throwing her arms around his neck, just barely noticing the shock on his face. The last time she had seen him was back in River Pass Colorado. Did he know that she had died; did he know that she was brought back -she still didn't know by who? He pulled away from her; the man always was uncomfortable with PDA. The old coot was almost as bad as Bobby was.<p>

"Caroline I…I thought you were dead?" She pulled away from him tucking her hair behind her ear, she nodded. "I…I was, still don't know why I was brought back though." He gave a little huff and one of his half smirks. "It seems to be the trend these days." So he knows about Sam…well she would guess he would, kinda hard to explain coming back from the dead. "Where's the old man?" She smiled at Rufus and pointed to the living room. Rufus smiled, but there was an edge to it that wasn't there before. "Rufus what's up?" He looked behind him and she looked around him and saw he was looking back at his truck. "Bobby! We need help!"

Sighing she wiped the sweat from her forehead -did she mention she hated digging- she hated digging, with a fierce passion, Bobby thought it was funny considering she was willing to get greasy, but she wasn't willing to dig a whole. It was a good thing they had good start, thanks to Bobby and the back hoe, that man had everything, she still was smiling from Rufus when he saw Bobby digging the whole he gave an enthusiastic, "Man I know what I want for Hanukah!" Was it just her or did men as they grew older just wanted bigger toys? "So tell me why you brought the thing here?" Rufus threw his hands out shovel in one hand. "The law was on my tail." Bobby sent him a glare from under his hat. "What-what they got lucky."

"Uh huh your getting slow in your old age."

"Yeah, so says the guy that sits on his ass all day taking calls."

She couldn't help but smile at their banter, but all that earned her was a glare from the two men. She threw her hands up in mock surrender, geez they were moody. "I still can't believe you shived an okami," Bobby muttered. "And in Billings of all places." she mumbled. Things had gotten weird since she had been gone. Apparently, ever since the apocalypse was averted, all sorts of monsters had been popping up in the oddest places. Made her wonder just what was going on. "For what it's worth, Sam and Dean are hunting a lamia." Rufus mad a face at that. "A lamia I thought those things never left Greece."

"Monsters, is it just me or is it weird." Bobby murmured unconsciously voicing her own thoughts. "Are we going to pour some tea or our we going to bury this thing? Care and I are the only one's working." She smiled again, unable to help herself they were just so cute when they fought like this. Bobby gave a huff and they went back to work. When they were done the body of the okami six feet under gravel and rock, they sat down in Bobby's garage sipping -well more like gulping- on Rufus favorite drink, Johnny Walker Blue Label.

"So the son of bitches name is Fergus Macleod?" Rufus murmured downing another gulp of his beloved drink. "Yup that's the son of bitch's name." They both shot her a sheepish look, she had a feeling it was because of the cussing. Never mind that she could cuss up a blue streak, that would make a sailor blush. She gave a tiny shake of her head, men they were so silly sometimes. "Where you going to start looking?" Bobby sighed and wiped the sweat beading on his forehead. "Scotland, Crowley let slip he liked Craig it's…uh…it's…" Her mentor stuttered, searching for the right word. "Its scotch," she supplied earning her a surprised look from Bobby, and an appraising one from Rufus. She just shrugged not willing to share just how she knew that. It wasn't often that a hunter drank the good stuff, normally only having the money for the cheap shit. However, Balthazar had loved the finer things in life; good top shelf liquor had been one of them.

"Its only made and sold on the northern tip of a small county, its peaty and sharp with a long finish of citrus and tobacco notes." Bobby just stared looking utterly surprised, Rufus hadn't noticed yet, but he did soon enough. "What? What am I a heathen? Of course I know Craig." She had to hide her smile in her glass, but she had a feeling from the looks she was getting that they noticed. "Well I gotta hunch that's where Crowley lived _and _died, just before he got the big squeeze and came out a demon."

"You know I got a few contacts over there…I can make a few calls." She hoped he would, but from the look on Bobby's face she knew Rufus was about to be shot down. She knew Rufus would ignore him and do it anyways, something she would be grateful for. She had no clue on how to help him and since a certain angel wasn't answering her calls, she was really lost. "I ain't asking for no help." Bobby muttered a bit disgruntled, but she was happy to hear no real heat behind it. "And I ain't asking for your permission."

"You sound like her." Bobby muttered waving a hand in her direction she just have him a blazing smile, totally unrepentant about it. "Well the girl does have some sense."


	5. Chapter 5

_/It's the Weekend Bobby/ _

_Part Two_

_Oh crap, oh crap! _How in the hell did she managed to get lost in the woods she has known since she was seventeen? If that wasn't bad enough, she had just seen that freaking okami go strolling by. It was _supposed _be dead, Rufus was _supposed _to have killed it. "Crap where the hell did it go?" It was dark out and not a soul could be seen, although who would be out in the woods this time of night was beyond her. She put her nose in the air and tested it. Okami's didn't give off a very appealing scent. Turning right she followed the smell straight into Marcy's yard. Where she was standing covered in, _oh man was that blood_. Walking over to where they were standing, she heard poor Bobby getting turned down by a very obviously scared Marcy, she murmured, "Marcy?" the woman spun around her eyes wide, blood covered her from head to her toes, her arms stretched out. "Oh dear, what happened?" Marcy pointed a finger at her and very calmly -might she add- told them, "Leave just leave."

They walked back to the salvage yard, she had tried asking Bobby to tell her what happened, but he refused to talk about it, just kept mumbling that it was _the story of his life_. The phone rang just as they were walking through the front door. Man she knew that Bobby's place was always hopping, but this was getting ridiculous. "I got it." She told him softly, "Go get cleaned up and get some sleep." He nodded wearily not even bothering to argue, which spoke volumes. Sighing she looked at the phone that was currently ringing the white tape clearly stating that it was for police. "Deputy Petri," and so the night went.

* * *

><p>"<em>So you're still alive?"<em> Rufus muttered into the receiver. Yeah he was alive a bit worn out, but alive. "Yup." He watched as Caroline worked around the kitchen moving at warp speed, no matter how long he knew the girl it was still very hard to get used to _that_. She was nervous he could see it etched into her face, but why he had no clue. _"So you just happened to have a bamboo dagger, _blessed _by a Shinto priest lying around?" _he rolled his eyes at that. Rufus was going to get a kick out of what he had to say about that. "Nope, wood chipper." He let himself smile at the silence that followed. The old man didn't know what to say to that. _"Wood chipper huh, well that trumps…well _everything_." _There was another bout of silence, he kept quiet he knew Rufus was working on saying something; the old coot just had to spit it out.

"_Listen…thank you Bobby I uh…I screwed up." _Yeah, but then again they all did it, happens that way sometimes, the key was to not beat yourself up for it. He looked up at Caroline again noticing that she had stopped, and was starring off into space. He wondered what she was thinking now. "Hey its okay. I figure I owe you more than you owe me." Caroline caught his attention, mouthing that she would be right back. He nodded and went back to Rufus. _"Oh well alrighty then 'cause I found something on your boy Crowley. Turns out he had a son." _Bobby leaned forward at that, leaning his arms on his desk. "Oh did he now? Rufus I need that ring." he stated. A plan already formulating in his head. _"What's that Bob? Are you asking for my help?" Damn it_, he had him there. "I'm asking for a ring…and…" sighing he was going to have to suck it up. "And your help."

"_Don't worry brother I got ya."_

* * *

><p>Night had fallen Caroline still hadn't come back -from wherever she had gone- yet, and he was just about to finally enjoy that wonderful smelling cobbler made by a pretty woman, one he was probably never going to see again, when that damn phone rang again. He looked at the caller id it read John P. Jones. <em>Dean. <em>Who knew what that kid wanted now? Was it to complain about how Sam is so different? Or would it be about Caroline, maybe his grandfather that he didn't particularly like? "Dean you alright?"

"_Yeah Bobby it grilled up fine." _The kid sounded so dejected that he couldn't help, but think there was a "but" in there somewhere. "That's good, how come I hear a, but in there somewhere." Dean sighed sounding very tired. _"Its Sam, Bobby." _he rolled his eyes heaven ward at that. He kinda figured that's where this was going to go. _"He's different Bobby, I mean I get it, you go through something like that, and…and you change…but something…something's not right." _he heard the little click telling him he had another call. _"I gotta few questions," _he heard Dean say as he looked at the caller id it was Rufus. "Dean…"_"About that year…"_

"Dean I…gotta another call…"_"Bobby?"_"Just…just hold I gotta take this…it's important."_"More important than Sam?"_

"Just hold on…Rufus?"

"_I got the ring Bobby!" _he could hear excitement in his friend's voice and was that…Balls! "Tell me that is not what I think that is."

"_Three guesses Bob and one of them is not a paramedic." _

"Balls!

"_I gotta get rid of the ring!"_

"Well don't swallow it!"

"_Right I gotta swallow it!"_

Sighing he climbed to his feet as he heard Rufus scuffling around with the cops, the damn fool. Heard him say something about, "_Knowing my rights_." _Now what was he going to do_, he thought, he leaned against the counter top phone in hand, as he stared out into the night. That's when he caught a glimpse of pale hair; she was walking with Cass, talking animatedly her hands moving her face streaked with tears. Could this night get any better? Oh that's right he had Dean on the other line waiting for him. Well this should be fun. He clicked back over, sighed and put the phone back up to his ear. All the while trying to ignore the scene outside. "Dean you there?"

"_Bobby what the hell?" _He sighed his thoughts going a mile a minute. How the hell was he supposed to get the ring now? Rufus had swallowed it and _he _was in _jail, _Caroline -god he loved her- was no help at the moment. Although he was glad that she wasn't here for this, she would probably rip Dean's head off for bothering him. Ever since she came back, she has been more protective of him than ever. And he had no clue where it was coming from. It was all he could do to get her to not go back to Marcy's and not have her smack the crap out of the woman. If he wanted to be honest, he was afraid she was loosing it. "Sorry, Dean…it's just…a bad time." He heard Dean huff and knew he was getting ready to hear something that was more than likely to piss him off.

"_Bad time…right. I mean you're the only one I can tell this stuff to. About Sam about leaving Ben and Lisa," _it didn't escape him how he said Ben's name first. _"About Caroline…but your busy. That's fine, but Bobby that's selfish really." _He knew that boy was going to say something that was going to piss him off. After everything, searching for that damn book, telling _them _what the monster was that they were hunting, Caroline being as much help as she could possibly be, dealing with the cops, cleaning up Rufus's mess, all the while trying to keep his business going _and he _was being selfish. He had, had enough and he just snapped. "Where's your brother?"

"_Out side…"_

"Get him!"

"_Bobby you're on speaker." _Good he wanted both of them idjits to hear what he had to say. He poured himself a drink he was going to need it for this conversation. "Sam, Dean…" he took a sip, his mouth twisting at the burn. "I love you boys as my sons, but sometimes…sometimes you…" another sip -well gulp- and he had to pour himself another. "You two…you two are the whiniest sons of bitch's I've ever met. I'm selfish…I'm selfish! I do everything for you two! Everything! You need some lore scrounged up, you need someone to pull you out of the fire, you need someone to bitch to about each other and I help. I. Help. Every. Damn. Time." he punctuated every word as if it were its own sentence. He was so frustrated; he poured him some more whiskey and downed it in one gulp. "And what do I get for it? Jack with a side of squat!"_"Bobby…"_

"Do I sound like I'm done?" He can't remember a time when he went off on these two idjits as he was now. He was so mad he almost didn't hear the door squeak as it was opened. He spun around to see Caroline, standing there her hand grasping the doorframe her eyes wide and tear tracks on her cheeks. He angrily pointed to the chair, silently telling her to sit her ass down and wait her turn, cause when he was done with the Winchesters he was going to go for a Forbes. "Now," he said readdressing his current problematic surrogate-children. "I know you got issues, god knows I know! But news flash you ain't the center of the universe!" He saw Caroline cringe out of the corner of his eye, but he wasn't ready to deal with her yet, and besides when he did, he wasn't going to be yelling, so he needed to get it out of his system now. "Now it may have slipped your mind but Crowley is in possession of my soul, and I for damn sure ain't about to sit around here and…well be _damned_! Now how about the two of you sack up for just once, and help me for a change!"

"_Bobby…all you gotta do is ask."_

"_Yeah man, anything…anything you want we're there."_

* * *

><p>Caroline fidgeted with the ring Balthazar gave her as she watched Bobby pull out of the drive, he didn't want her to come with him this afternoon. Not that she blamed him; he was a proud man and hated asking for help, he didn't want witness. All that was a moot point anyhow, she had some business to attend to today and it wouldn't do for him to be here while she did it. She waited patiently -or rather impatiently- for her visitor. She heard footsteps crunching the gravel beneath his feet. "Finally." she breathed. "I came as soon as I could. Are you ready?"<p>

"What do you need me to do?"

* * *

><p>Bobby came home to an empty house. This day and the last few that preceded it were beginning to wear him thin. He was glad to see that the talk he had with the boys had hit its mark, but he was sad to see that his one with Caroline was falling on deaf ears. He didn't understand that girl, one minute she's happy and chipper the next she was distracted and as nervous as a mare. By the time twilight fell, she was still nowhere insight and he still hadn't heard from her. He poured himself a drink and was just about to drink it when someone knocked on his door. Heaving a sigh, he walked to and opened only to find none other than Rufus.<p>

"Rufus?" he was shocked even more when Janis came into view. "Miss me." He just figured out who the old jackass reminded him of. He looked to Janis his eyes wide and his mouth working like a fish out of water. "How did you…" She shook her head her eyes narrowed, showing how pissed she was that he talked her into this mad scheme. "Don't ask!" she snapped, but there was no real heat behind it. "You got one hour then I call the feds and tell 'em he got loose. Oh and Bobby, if I loose my job over this, I'm taken it out of your _ass_." He shook his head; it was he could do anyhow. Caroline who came strolling up the porch looking green further shocked him. "Sheriff Mills." she greeted her eyes wide. "Hello Caroline." Caroline cocked her head to the side silently asking him just what was going on. She walked in the house and he shut it behind her. "Rufus?"

"Darlin'" He had to hide his smile as Caroline was the one to be scooped up in a hug. She cringed a little at the contact, but hugged him back. _what was up with that?_ "You got the ring?" he asked moving over towards the two as they pulled away from each other. Rufus handed over the ring with a toothy grin. "I'll go boil some water." He missed the looks that passed between them but clearly heard, "What?"

* * *

><p>"Come on Rufus, I'll drive you to get your truck." she said grabbing the keys to Bobby's truck. She just had one thing to do before she left; she ran over to Bobby and no matter how much he didn't like it, she didn't really care. She kissed him on his cheek and told him, "Good luck Bobby, I'll call you on the way back okay." Rufus didn't say anything for a bit and she was glad for the silence, her meeting hadn't gone very well and while she had healed, she was still in a bit of pain. "How do you plan on getting me to my truck, considering it probably in impound by now?" He said as they hit the road. She smiled at him a bit, of her old self shinning through. "Why Rufus do you doubt me and my awesomeness?"<p>

* * *

><p>He stood in the basement slit his hand and threw a match on the mixture of his blood and herbs; it didn't take long for Crowley to show. "Well you look like hammered crap." He did look like…well Hell had warmed over. "And you're a vision as always." The demon muttered looking up at the ceiling noticing the big Solomon's key. "Don't we already know how this ends? Really Bobby?" He could talk out his ass all he wanted, didn't matter, he was the one with the ace up the sleeve. "Word on the street is ever since Lucy was locked back up you're the big Kahuna down under."<p>

"See you've been reading the trades."

"Trouble down in the pit?""Mate you…have no idea." The poor sod had no clue what was really going on. Crowley put his glass down onto the nearby table, and poured the last of his beloved Craig into it, adding some of those nifty inventions called Alka-Seltzers. They did wonders for his indigestion. "When I took the corner office I thought it was going to be all rainbows and two headed puppies. But if I'm being honest it's been…Hell." He murmured watching the lout as he gulped down the mixture. "Thought that was the point."

"You know the problem with Demons is?"

"Their demons?"

"Exactly! Try to show them a different way, a better way and what do I get bugger all!" Life was hard for the King of Hell. "There are some days were I think Lucifer's idea to spike anything with black eyes was a good thing. Hmm felt good to get that off my chest we should make this a weekly thing."

"I don't think so."

"Don't be that way Bobby; we're going to be seeing a lot of each other in ten years." Maybe sooner if he didn't let him out of this trap.

"Do I look like Dr. Phil to you?""A little, any who I'm obviously not here for a social call…so what is it you want this time Singer?""I want…"

"Lets me do the recap shall I?" Bobby gave a little head bob and he went through the whole scenario. It was boring to say the least; he had other things he needed to do. What was the saying places to go, people to kill? No that wasn't it, but he liked it anyways suited him. "Is that the gist of it?"

"Yeah except now I have some leverage…you see Crowley or should I just call you Fergus." So the sod knew his name didn't mean much in the grand scheme of things, and there were grander things to take care of. Speaking of grander things where was that gorgeous blonde that always hung around here? "I've also met your son." Well now he…well…_shit_. "Say hello Fergus." "Hello da, nice seeing you again." The boy his boy who was almost as devious as he was, murmured his thick accent taking him back a few centuries or so. "So what does it matter." The little shit couldn't have told him that much _could he_? "I told him…_everything_." Well bloody hell! "So what you'll release him if I give you your soul back? Keep him I don't care."

"Well the thing of it is…" The old man paused and he smiled, that smile would look great on a demon…to bad things won't work out, as they should. "I have your bones." Now that was impossible no one knew where they were, and it wouldn't work anyhow…right? "It works Crowley haven't you noticed one of your little minions missing lately?" So that's where she went. _Bloody hell_! "I don't believe you.""That's fine, but maybe you'll believe them." Bobby said tossing Crowley the cell phone. He was maybe having a bit more fun than he should watching Crowley squirm. He looked over at Gavin out of the corner of his eye, noticed the ghost was having the same problem without the qualms. He couldn't hear what was said it didn't matter, the ghost white face said it all, so did the voiding of the contract. "I get to keep my legs." He murmured unhurriedly, they had him by the balls and Crowley knew it. Looking at his arms he watched as everything changed and then disappeared all together. God it felt good to have his life back. When he looked up Crowley was gone. He released Gavin before he picked up the phone and hung it up. What a long day, hell weekend it was time for a good drink and some of that cobbler he has yet to eat.

* * *

><p>He called the boys and thanked them, it meant more to him than words could ever describe. Dean had gotten on a plane for him and he hated planes. Caroline had helped him with Rufus getting him out of dodge and with her nifty ability; she could get out any jam they could have gotten into. He hung up with the boys a promise to come and see him in a couple of days. And fixed him a plate of cobbler. But of course he spoke to soon about trouble, because just as he was about to eat a bit the phone rang. "Singer's Salvage." he greeted.<p>

"_Uh…Bobby?""_Caroline?"

"_Uh Rufus and I kinda need you help."_

It never ends does it?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Suggested Listening: **__Jaron and The Long Road To Love Beautiful Lies…such a pretty song I just love it. Hence the title of the story J_

_/Oh, lie to me_

_Tell me that you love me one more time_

_Just lie to me/_

Lisa heaved a breath of relief that she didn't even realize that she had been holding. Ben was off to school with a promise in his ear to pick him up after football practice. And Dean was just heading out the door, before dashing back in to kiss her distractedly on the cheek. Something had been bothering him all week, and if truth be told he has been like this since Caroline and Sam came back from the dead. Mostly it was because it was so shocking and there were no explanations as to why they had been brought back. But he had confided in her that there was something more to it, something was off about his brother and former girlfriend. He just couldn't put a name to it.

She on the other hand was distracted and a bit fearful for a different reason all together. But not by much, you see Lisa was expecting a visitor today, someone she was sure Dean would not be all that happy to hear had been here in their home. Why he could invite her over to spend the night when she had been in total shock, and she could not was beyond her. _Nor did she particularly care_. Lisa wanted to know where she stood, what she stood to lose. And the only way she could find that out was if she invited Caroline over for a chat. She had been about to do just that, but the girl beat her to the punch. She knew next to nothing about the blonde save what Dean had told her. And it was hard to trust him when he said he didn't love her anymore, when his eyes told her a very different tale.

Lisa just _needed _to _know, _and Dean liked to keep things he didn't like to talk about or think about to himself, in the deep recess of his mind and heart. She didn't really blame him for it couldn't bring herself to be mad about that, but…she just needed to know was that so _wrong_. So she sat at her kitchen table a glass of wine in her hand. Waiting for the blonde who meant so much to Dean to stop by. When she did she looked haggard and worn something was weighing heavily on the young woman, it was plain as it was day. "Glad you could come." she murmured inviting her into the home she shared with Dean and Ben. The blonde tossed her head with a look full of spirit and for once, she looked like that happy girl from the photo that used to be in Dean's sock drawer. "Glad you asked me over." she murmured ironically a smile lifting up the corners of her mouth.

This girl had spirit and even if Lisa wasn't going to like the girl, she liked that she had some spirit. And she knew that Caroline was giving those boys a run for their money. "So uh…" she said hesitantly waving her hand at her glass of wine silently asking if she wanted some. Caroline nodded and sat down at the table, her eyes everywhere taking in the small, but nice kitchen that Lisa had so lovingly decorated. Lisa's eyes were for her alone taking in the petite blonde, her long hair falling over one shoulder in soft waves. A pink knitted poncho covering her long white sleeve shirt, she wore shorts and high heeled cowboy boots. Even with this outfit of simplicity she looked lovely, Lisa wasn't sure how she could ever measure up to the youthful blonde.

"Well…I know I, uh asked you over and all…but…" Caroline smiled again albeit a little sadly. She could see the conflict warring in the blondes pretty green eyes. "But you want to know if there is still something between Dean and me." Caroline supplied taking a sip of her wine. Lisa nodded, that is exactly what she wanted to know. "Well…I do still love him, I always will Lisa. I knew him when I was a scared neurotic teenager, and he saved me when I needed saving. But he moved on gained a new life in the process." she paused to bite her bottom lip. "It's what I wanted for him. When he sees me he sees the blood he thinks is on his hands, thanks to a crazed hunter. That's all."

The brunette took all this in she believed Caroline, she really did plus there was something _more _lighting the other woman's eyes and it wasn't the topic of Dean. "Besides I met…he's free Lisa, take him, and love him. I know how you helped him, and for that I will be eternally grateful." Lisa watched as Caroline moved to go she wouldn't stop her, this conversation hadn't lasted long, but it was leaving her with an eerie feeling. The blonde's words were light but heavy with a burden she would not share. And as far as Lisa could tell, she would rather keep it that way. She isn't sure what set her off, there were no double meanings behind the polite exchange, but there was an undercurrent of emotions. There was a finality to the tone as if some important decision had been made. Honestly, she thought as she heard the door close, she wished the girl luck she was sure she was going to need it.

* * *

><p>The rose and the wild flower, at first glance one would think that there would be no comparison. Who would want a wildflower compared to a rose? He did he wanted that wildflower; he wanted her and her alone. Her blonde hair seeks out the sunlight like a sunflower, and he knows if he keeps going on like this he might as well send himself back to good old Shakespeare, and give the old fool some pointers. He watched her as she walked out of Lisa's home her head held high determination shinning bright in those green depths. She climbed into an -one of that Bobby's, he was sure- old rusted out vehicle that did not become her and drove off.<p>

Out of curiosity alone he followed her, she stopped a little while away parking the car she climbed out, and looked around her. "I know your there Balthazar." she murmured as she nibbled at the corner of her mouth, the little pearly whites gnashing on the tender flesh. "Please…" she begged, "Please I need to see you." He should ignore her has thus far, it would be beyond stupidity to go to her now, but he never said he was smart when it came to her. "You called." he said popping up behind her. She spun on her heels, her pink poncho flaring out around her. "You came!" She breathed. Her hand crept out to him as if she wanted to touch him, but it suddenly dropped back down to her side.

"What did you need my dear?" Her laugh came out bitter and decidedly unhappy. "I haven't seen you since that…that day you made me leave and that is all you have to say to me?" her tone was indignant. He could understand that, but couldn't she understand where he was coming from? He put her in danger, every moment he was in her company. He didn't answer her just looked at her his own blue eyes meeting her green ones. "Lie to me." she begged. "I want to drown in your beautiful lies." He knows what she wants and its nothing more than madness, but may his father help him, he couldn't stop himself. He grabbed her by the arms, pulled her to him and in a blink they were gone from this place.

* * *

><p>"Are you serious Cass?" Dean growled in frustration. He couldn't believe this was happening, it just couldn't be true. "Tell me how…how something like that is even possible?" he asked utterly horrified at the thought of his baby brother without his soul. It explained a few things<em>, a lot actually<em>. Like why he let him get turned and how he was able to escape Veritas spell. "After all you have seen…after all that you have been through, can you really doubt this?" Dean knew what he was asking; could he really doubt him could he doubt Cass and his angel mojo when Balthazar himself had hinted at it. The answer is no he couldn't doubt the truth that was staring him in the face.

"Damn it!" he snarled picking up a book off the table; he threw it at the wall, the thud only just barely enough to be satisfying. "Can you find a way to fix this?" he knows he was asking a lot of his angel friend thanks to Bobby he had his eyes opened for him. But this was Sam, his Sammy, his baby brother he had to do something, it wasn't right it, wasn't natural for a human to walk around without his soul. "I…I will try my best Dean." He was grateful beyond words and when he heard the faint flutter of wings he turned to his brother. Eyeing him as he was strapped to a chair, sweat beaded his forehead and the belt -that was keeping him from biting his tongue off- hung loosely in his mouth.

"Ah Sammy the hits just keep on coming don't they?" he soothed taking the belt out of brothers mouth and untying him with care. Things could never be normal for them, and the weird radar just kept getting higher. He lifts Sam out of the chair and walks him to the bed, his brother's feet are unsteady and he needs to be there more than ever, he needs to be there for Sam.

* * *

><p>She is his answer. Everything he has ever done, from leaving heaven to forcing her to leave, it has all been leading up to where they are now. He looks at her as she lounges on his bed, her eyes twinkle as she holds the sheet to her naked body one slim leg bent at the knee peeking out from under the sheet, her skin pale skin almost seeming to glow in the pale light of the lone candle burning off in the distance. "Lie to me." she implored. "Just lie to me one more time." He looks at her, her eyes are blazing now and her words send a chill down his back. There is something lying beneath those prettily spoken words, something that he can't even admit he feels at the moment.<p>

He drops down on the bed brining his lips down on her knee, sending his hand up that pale thigh reveling in how he makes her shiver. "What is it you want from me love?" he asks her his tone serious. "Tell me…tell me that you…that you love me just one more time." It sounds like a good bye. They have literally an eternity to play cat and mouse games, he doesn't understand the feeling of need, like this is the last moments on earth they shall ever spend anytime together. It's because of all that, because he doesn't understand the hint of urgency lining her words that he relents. He cups her cheek with his hand his thumb caressing her cheek, he brings his lips to hers and whispers faintly with same undercurrent of urgency, "I…"

* * *

><p>"Tell me Samuel have you always known about Sam?" Dean confronts his grandfather anger blazing in his green eyes and Samuel could do nothing but stare. Sure he has known something was off, but he never confronted it. Never brought up, not really, he just assumed he was like his father. He never did like John Winchester, there was always this anger bubbling beneath the surface. Dean he's…he is so much like his Mary, so much so that it makes his heart hurt just to look at the boy. But the truth of the matter is he doesn't know either one of them, he couldn't say one way or the other how they grew up, how they lived or how they turned out. Dean is level headed in that impulsive sort of way, but Sam is cool to the point of cruelty.<p>

This is why he was a little twitchy today. He had a job to do and he didn't want either one of them there for it. He wanted them as far as away as possible, that's what the girl was supposed to be doing, she was supposed to be keeping them busy, all the while Sam was supposed to be keeping her busy. Speaking of that girl where was she anyhow. This hunt counted on a lot of things and if it went sour well it could mean hell for them all, and he for one had a lot riding on this. "I knew something was off." he supplied. "But come on son how much do you expect me to know about you boys. I was dead before you two were even a twinkle in your momma's eye." His heart lurched at the mention of his Mary, his baby. She shouldn't have married that boy; if she never had then she wouldn't be dead now. And even though it was cruel, he blamed these boys, his grandsons standing in front of him.

"Look your right." Dean conceded, casting a look at his brother that was entirely unreadable, but an unspoken message seemed to pass between them. He envied the bond between them, even now with Sam apparently without a soul and with all the other crap, they communicated in a way that only people that had worked together for long hours of the day and night could. It was a bond born from a life of death. "I hear you're heading off on another Alpha hunt?" Sam asks his smile a bit sly. "Uh huh, but you two are not coming." He didn't need his boss up his ass for this. He was still pissed that the shifter Alpha had gotten away.

"We'll follow your every command." Samuel had a very hard time believing that. Sam he knew could take orders, but Dean? Well he wasn't so sure of that. But they were after all family, and he _was _told to keep a watchful eye in them, and what better way to do it than this. "Alright…" He caved shrugging his shoulders like he couldn't care less, when that was anything but the truth. "But you do as I say."

* * *

><p>Caroline strode into the Campbell's compound like she owned the place. Finally for the first time in months feeling like herself. All thoughts of Dean all the misgivings every wayward thought she had was gone now, only confidence in its place. This could only mean of course that she was heading for some major problems. She stopped gave Christian the evil eye, the asshole was always looking at her in that way that made her feel unclean. Rolling her eyes as he looked her up and down, she looked towards Gwen who was shoving items in a bag without care; the girl was pissed off at something that much was obvious.<p>

Blowing past them she walked into Samuel's office, stopped short when she was confronted with three glares. It was almost scary how much they resembled each other. "Um okay…what did I do now?" Sam shook his head a ghost of a smile playing on his lips, Dean and Samuel on the other hand just continued to glare, she returned their glares with a grin. "So…" she murmured clapping her hands together, feeling utterly gleeful. "What are we up to today huh?"

"Got a lead on an Alpha." Sam said standing up and tossing his arm around her shoulders, she tossed him a smile and looked back at Dean who was looking at them oddly. Well more like Sam what was going on here? What had she missed? "Oh yeah, which one this time?"

"Vampire."

* * *

><p>The hunt had gone off without a hitch she, Sam and the Campbell's had managed to get the Alpha bundled up and into the van. Everything was fine -or so she thought- until they all climbed into the Impala. "What are they doing with them?" Dean barked at Sam, but he was looking at her. <em>Crap<em>! Its times like these she wished she had never crawled out of bed. "Wha-what are you talking about?" She stuttered. She knew better than to open her mouth. For the first few months before Dean joined up with them full time -well, mostly full time anyway- it had been paramount not to tell him anything. She hadn't liked it, fought like hell to change everyone's mind, but to no avail. They were a strict bunch, need to know basis, and if you were an outsider you were not in the need to know. Dean…well Dean was an outsider, no two ways about it.

"You know full well what I'm talking about! I saw what you did. Sammy what the hell?" She put her head in her hands and let out a little mournful groan. "Sam…we…uh…" she implored she hated keeping things from Dean; it wasn't in her nature to do so. But it wasn't her tale to tell. She didn't know what they were doing with the Alpha's or their cronies they caught just knew they were chained, blind folded and taken somewhere. "Look Dean…you weren't always there." Dean stopped that line of thought with a glare so Sam took a new route. "I don't know what they do with them, neither does Caroline. We just do what we do and they take them to the warehouse." she nodded imploring Dean to forgive her, to forgive them.

A grim look passed over Dean's face and without a doubt she knew what he was about to do. "Can you tell me where they take them?" Sam nodded hesitantly. And she looked out the window nervously; she had no clue what they were doing to those monsters and had no desire to know. She felt unclean just doing it in the first place. But whatever, Dean was determined to unearth some answers, and she could hardly blame him. She just hoped that when he did find what he was looking for he wouldn't regret it.

* * *

><p>They crept through the dank hallways, Sam in the rear Dean in the lead and Caroline in the middle. Even after all these years and her being what she was, he still had the need to protect the girl. He couldn't blame her for her part not when she quietly begged him to understand. "<em>Why Caroline why?" <em>he had asked her. "_Don't you get it Dean?" _she had pleaded her green eyes bright. _"I just want to know what happened to me where I went. Is that to much to ask?" _It wasn't of course he hadn't known until that moment that she had no clue what had happened to her. She never talked about that time she had been dead and he just assumed it was as it was with him and Hell. Just assumed it was something she would rather not talk about.

Something screamed in the distance making them all jump -well him and Caroline did- but they kept on moving. All of a sudden Caroline stopped in her tracks, she started going off in a totally different direction. "Where the hell is she going?" Sam murmured. She walked as if in a daze, as if she was attached to an invisible string and someone -more like something- was on the other end, pulling her towards them. They followed her, guns drawn as she came to a stop in front of a cage. "How is it I can hear you?" a deep laughter came from within the cage and him and Sam came around to look into the cage, and saw a large black man strapped to a chair, wires were stabbed into his hands and feet blood oozing from the wounds.

"Ah…little one, daughter of Klaus." the vampire Alpha greeted her. "You may be of a higher level than myself and my kind, but we share a link child. That it's the gift of the mother." Caroline looked taken aback, horror filled her eyes. "We can speak to each other even if your more noble line does not dare lower themselves so." Dean watched them in rapt fascination, he knew of the link had experienced it himself. Its how he learned of the vampire's master plan. "Wh- who is this mother?" she asked. The Alpha laughed, but shook his head unable -more likely, unwilling to answer. "That is not for these monkeys you have aligned yourself with, to hear child. They wouldn't even begin to understand what we go through. To even comprehend the mother's love for her children. You daughter of Klaus are her favorite creation. A _true _killer able to hide under the noses of your prey so beautiful," he cooed. "You draw people in child; they come to you because they cannot help themselves. Do you really want to spend your days, with people who cannot even begin to comprehend the _beauty _of the killer inside?"

"What are they doing with you?" Sam asked interrupting the speech that was sounding more and more like a recruiting story. He laughed again his eyes never leaving Caroline's to pale face. "Trying to get answers, I suppose." Caroline reached her hand out and grasped the bars in a white knuckle grip. "For what? What answers do you hold?"

"Why child they want to know where all little monsters like yourself go. They want to know where purgatory is." It all happened so fast one minute they were talking and the next Caroline was on the ground, Samuel, Gwen and Christian were pointing guns at them. He dropped down to Caroline feeling for a pulse trying to understand what just happened. Sam trained his gun on the three Campbell's, but without Caroline they were out numbered. The Alpha was laughing again. In the next few seconds this happened: he was trying to get Caroline to wake up, while keeping a watchful eye on his so called family, the vampire Alpha got loose killed Christian -good riddance- just before the Alpha could turn Sam, Crowley showed up and sliced the vamp's head off.

"Never trust bloody humans to do a demons job." he lamented. Sighing he cast his eyes down upon the unconscious Caroline. "What happened to her?" Dean growled low in his throat, a dangerous sound that would have most people running for the hills. It had no effect in the King of Hell. "That thing did something to her!" he barked. A cruel smile spread slowly over the demons lips. "Oh no my dear boy…the wall -similar to the one that held her memories at bay- is crumbling. She'll be lucky if she comes back partially human."

"What are you doing here Crowley? What is this place?" Sam asked. "I'm here to check in on my college, _who _might I add is doing a _deplorable _job. I thought I told you to keep an eye on them!" the demon snapped. "You're working with _him_! Why?" Dean barked out before Samuel could even form an answer. "Well who do you think brought him back? Hmm…he owes me. And for that matter who do you think brought back your precious brother. So what if it all went a little wonky." the demon gave a careless shrug of his shoulders, as if he couldn't care less. "And about that…if you want dear old Sammy's soul back you will now work for me as well."

"What if I say no?"

"Then Sammy's soul stays in the cage."


	7. Chapter 7

_/A stain covers your heart, and tears you apart/_

Dean carried Caroline out of the warehouse, his face set in a mask. There was no way he was going to let his so called family see how he really felt about how Caroline's arms and legs hung limply. Like a rag doll that was much abused and lost all of its stuffing. Sam ran ahead and opened the door, Dean laid her down as gently as possible, and he tossed Sam the keys and climbed in back with her, his hands roaming over her pale face. If one was just looking at her you would think she was just sleeping, he wished it were that easy.

* * *

><p><em>She curled into a ball, her knees tucked up under her, her hands in her hair clutching the strands as tightly as possible. She could hear screams all around her. This…this was hell; this is where she was to spend eternity. The worst-case scenario was that she could become like the rest of the monsters in here, she could loose her humanity, the thing that kept her grounded, that allowed her to have friends, that allowed her to love. She could join in on the fun and torture those like her. But, she couldn't do that, couldn't bring herself to give these creatures that feel the spell of humanity any sort of pain.<em>

* * *

><p>"Are you sure?" Dean looked up into the blue eyes of his friend begging for some good news -<em>just this once<em>- hoping that after everything they wouldn't loose her now. "She should wake up soon Dean. I have done all that I can the rest is up to her." Dean sighed sitting down hard on the chair beside the bed. He didn't even notice the motel room around him, just felt caged and crowded.

* * *

><p><em>She dared to peek out at the world around her, dared to look to her right where a man flat on his back bucked and screamed, or tried to at least. He was pinned down a shadowy monster on his stomach, two others pinning down his arms as the shadowy monster carved and cackled. She could become that thing; leaving not a trace of herself behind, it was either that or endure this pain. They had left her alone, for now, but how long would that last? How long until they came for her?<em>

* * *

><p>Three days later and still no change, now Sam stood by the door both of their duffels in hand, as he reminded him that they had a job to do. "We have to go Dean." Sam said softly as if he was trying to reach him behind his walls. <em>Good luck brother<em>. "Dean…you heard what Crowley said." No shit of course he heard, he was there didn't mean he wanted to help that bugger. But then again if he didn't they could never get Sam soul back, and Caroline could be stuck like this forever. He would never forgive himself if either scenario happened. So reluctantly he stood, took the bag that Sam held out and with one last look back at the -_she could almost be sleeping_- pale form of Caroline, he left leaving her alone. What other choice did he have?

* * *

><p>"<em>Please! Pl-please!" she begged tears streaming down her face as she tried to free herself from the shadowy beast. "Let me go!" screaming was doing her no good, and they say the dead feel no pain, well she hated to tell them but this pain felt very real. She bucked, arching her back, trying to get the thing off her, she needed to get free, need…needed…she just needed something. It leaned down towards her ear and whispered in a vile whisper "Join us…" its tongue sneaking out to lick the shell of her ear. She recoiled from the touch, screamed once again as the blade carved into her chest once more.<em>

* * *

><p>"Skin-walkers." Dean murmured disgustedly. Nasty mean things. He thought as he looked down at the latest victim. His chest was shredded open like a werewolf attack, but unlike with a werewolf attack there was some hair left behind -that felt a bit like dog- and the heart was still in the chest. "How you figure?" Sam asked looking up; his pen was still fiddling with the tattered remains of the victim shirt. Dean shrugged his shoulders and murmured, "Its in dad's journal." he took out the journal as they walked away from the scene, and showed Sam dad's journal entry.<p>

"So we looking at another alpha?" his brother said looking up from the worn and yellowing pages.

"Could be that's why Crowley wants us there anyhow."

"Hey man look I know you don't like working with Crowley, but," Damn, but Sam could plaster on fakeness as if it was a fucking art form. He cut off anything Sam had to say with a vicious slash of his hand, and snapped out, "Just stop Sam. I don't just not like it I hate it. Working with demons never ends up well; you of all people should know that." Sam narrowed his eyes at that and of course, he had something else he wanted to add. "Yeah and working with a vampire is any different, especially one that is as confused and unconscious as Caroline?"

Dean thought over that a moment. Was working with Caroline any different? She was after all something hunter's hunt, something that he should put a stake in. However, Caroline wasn't a something she was a someone to him and she used to be a someone to Sam. "Yes," He said finally after a few moments of staring into the face that he once knew everything about. "Yes, it is different." With that said he shoved the journal into the pocket inside his jacket and brushed past Sam.

His dreams were haunted that night. Haunted by Lisa's cold with anger words, by Caroline's soft green eyes as they bored into his asking ,_"What is it you want from me Dean?" _what did he want from her. Funny thing is he doesn't know, as they drove to the modest home were the guy connected with all this lived with his family, he still hadn't figured it out. She was always just Caroline to him someone that had gotten close enough to him to break through his walls, even given what she was. That, however, didn't matter it never had. This was a clue in of itself. But did he love her still like Lisa had accused of him? Or has he moved on from those days of frantic need?

He came to Lisa broken and almost beyond repair. Loosing Caroline, then Jo and Ellen had been hard enough, but loosing Sammy had almost killed him, Lisa had built him back up sewed him together. Sure, there were some things that never truly healed, but Sam was back -sort of- and so was Caroline. Did any of that other shit really matter? He had no clue. All he knows is that the only girl he could ever have admitted to loving was now in some coma like state, and Sam was walking around soulless. He also knows that, that girl was now in love with an angel, he would have had to have been blind to not see it. It was written all over her face. That right there was reason enough to leave her alone to keep building a life with Lisa. Thing is he didn't know if he could keep putting them in danger.

He looked over at Sam who was scanning the street address's looking for the right one when he found it he smacked him on the arm and said, "There." He pointed to the rancher on the left, "It's that one." he pulled to a stop and shut down the engine and climbed out of the car. Not even bothering to wait for Sam. He was just so tired of all this, tired of someone telling him what to do and how to do it, funny thing it seemed to happen a lot these days. What the hell happened to him, that he was taking orders from Crowley or taking his cue from Samuel?

He wiped a hand down his face, when did his life get to be so fuck_ing_ complicated. He missed the days when things were easy. He missed hunting down nasties because that's what he was supposed to do, not what he was told. Okay so with the exception of his father, but that was different. Pushing everything aside, he knocked on the door. A young woman answered the door "Hello, can I help you?"

"Yes…I'm agent Tyler and this is agent Perry."

"We're with the FBI we need to speak to you about a recent rash of deaths." Sam finished.

* * *

><p>Sam held onto the struggling Lucky as he unlocked the door, this job was turning out to be weirder than he thought it would. Sighing inwardly, that radar just kept going up to newer and higher levels of odd. Once the door was thrown open, Sam tossed a nervous looking Lucky into a chair. Glaring down at the skinwalker. "You," he pointed a finger at the fidgety man, "are going to tell us everything." the order rang clear in the room, even though the man looked like his eyes were going to bug out of his head, Dean knew he would comply.<p>

"I…I ca-cant…please its…it's just not safe." Sam narrowed his eyes the look even more menacing than, it was when he had been a gangly twenty something. "And why is that Lucky?" his brothers tone was mellow, but even he could hear the underlying threat. "Because the man that turned me into," Lucky said waving a hand at himself, "this, he's done it to others. There a lot of what I am out there and their…their sleeper cells. Told to live with a family the bigger the better and then when the time came we were to change them. But I…I couldn't do it. I love my human and her child. I, I want to protect them, not hurt them. I don't want them to become like me."

"Tell us everything you know." Sam murmured a shark like glint in his eyes, Lucky seemed to realize that he said something he shouldn't have. "I'm not telling you anything soulless one. I shouldn't even be working with you; you're more of a monster than I am." Dean's head snapped back as if he had been punched. Monsters were calling his brother a monster now. What kind _fuck_ed up universe had he fallen into? He stepped in catching Lucky's eye; it was time to try a different tactic. "Do you know who I am?" he asks hoping that he doesn't, but if he knew about Sam and his soulless state then there was a chance he knew about him as well.

"Ye…yes. You are Dean…and you work with a vampire. Very admirable of you, I worked with one once and he was a nasty type of guy, always had blood on the brain…" Dean rolled his eyes and waved his hand cutting off the man's rambling. "So then you can tell me." Lucky nodded, and spilled the bean -so to say. "The time is coming, I don't know when for sure but soon. The order is going to come straight from the alpha. This isn't supposed to be happening we have a pact with the werewolves that meant whatever plan my alpha has, was supposed to stop."

"Okay, okay do you have some kinda meeting you go to?" Dean murmured trying to diffuse the bomb that was still ticking in the room. "Yeah," Lucky answered, still keeping a weary eye on Sam. "We're supposed to meet tomorrow; my handler I guess that's what you call him has been getting anxious with me. I think he knows that I don't want to do this.""Well go to that meeting tomorrow and we'll have your back."

"You'll make sure nothing happens to my human right?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Sam glared at him from the passenger seat as they waited for Lucky to get into the house; he was going to flash the front porch light to let them know all was okay. "What the hell do you think your doing?" Sam snapped, finally he knew it was coming, had been cynically waiting for it. "What are you talking about?" He asked not looking at his brother, but that front porch light. Was it him or was this taking a long time? "You know what I'm talking about Dean! We're here to hunt them not help them."<p>

He gave a slight nod when the light came on good that was out of the way, turned the engine over, and pulled away from the little house on the corner. "I thought we were supposed to be helping people Sam?" He heard Sam huff in frustration. "These aren't people Dean." The thing is, and trust him when he says this, they were. See he's done a little reading here and there in this new book Caroline had found in the depths of Bobby's library. Believe it or not, it was an old journal from another hunter that had been a werewolf. Not the slash and burn they hunt, but an older breed like uh…what was that kids name the one with the hot's for Caroline…well whatever, he read the day-to-day grind of what she did and what she had to do. Read the back-story that she kept on a few of her contacts that were like her, like Caroline. Supposed monsters joining in on the good fight, they were just people that had a life forced on them that they didn't want. A life that could turn you into a thing if you let it. A little, like Caroline and Lucky.

Dean had told Sam he doesn't remember much about his time as a vamp, but he remembers Caroline being there helping him through the pain of the transformation. And when the raid had happened, when he was slicing off vampires heads left and right Caroline at his side, another vampire had walked up to them and Dean still doesn't know why he didn't just kill him. But, when the vampire -Dante was his name- had said, _"They took her from me. You kill them all if you have to, but avenge her for me. Do what I cannot." _Yeah he thought it was weird to but for whatever reason he really wanted to do what Dante had asked.

"Let's just do this job and be over with it huh?" He murmured wiping a hand over his mouth.

"Whatever."

* * *

><p>Things (as they have a tendency to do) got a little bit carried away from them. They didn't think that the skinwalkers would take Lucky's family. So Dean did the only thing he could, he waited with baited breath a finger on the trigger hoping for a clear shot. But even if he could get that shot, he didn't know if he wanted to take it not with the girl and her kid in the way. As if all this wasn't hard, enough he had Sam yelling in his ear. "Take the damn shot Dean!" <em>Fuck you <em>he thought. There was no way he was going to risk those people, he would just have to trust Lucky. "Come on!" He snarled taking the sniper gun down off the tripod.

He shoved it back in its case and circled around the building yelling at Sam along the way. "Find another way in," he barked, "keep an eye out for Lucky and his family." As he snuck in a back way and found a grate big enough to put the gun through, but small enough that no one would see him before its to late. "Come on Lucky you have to do it." Some big guy pleaded with Lucky, "You have to bite them turn them. Show that you are still with the cause." Lucky looked back and forth between the man and the other walker, looking like he didn't know what to do. That was until he looked at the woman and her child. "No," He stuttered, but Dean watched through the lens of the gun, as he stood up taller, straighter, Dean knew that Lucky wouldn't let any one hurt them.

"No, I, I wont let you hurt them.""I'm sorry Lucky I tried to save you from your folly. Now move Lucky."

"No."That was his cue; he pulled the trigger shooting the man standing next to Lucky. It was all Lucky needed, as soon as bodies started dropping Lucky shoved the woman and her child into a room where they would be safe. Dean was taking a shot every chance he got, wondering where Sam had fucking gone to when he heard a growling to his right. He snapped his head around a saw a beautiful looking dog, that looked like a husky he tried pulling his gun from the grate, but it was stuck. He shouldn't have worried because Sam popped up then and shot the dog for him. "Fucking time you showed up." He growled out. "Your welcome." Sam snapped back then darted off again. Dean sighed and rolled his eyes some things never change. He looked back through the sight and started picking the walkers off. When it was all said and done he and Sam drove Lucky and his family back to their home. But it wouldn't end so well for poor old Lucky, Dean watched as Sam flipped through the newspaper as Lucky's life fell apart in front of him. When Lucky walked back to the Impala, Dean climbed out and met him in front of the car.

"She's afraid of me."

"Well yeah, I mean come on man, you lied to her."

"I loved her." Lucky murmured plaintively before turning around and taking off down the road Dean turned away, but when he looked back, he saw a German Sheppard with white around his muzzle; Lucky gave a bark before running off. Dean wondered if this would be the last time he saw Lucky.

* * *

><p>Dean rubbed his tired eyes as he pushed open the door to the motel they had left Caroline. He had fully expected to see her lying there still looking like she was sleeping, but instead he found nothing except a tall blonde and apparently pissed off angel. "Where the hell is she?" he demanded. How the hell should he know he's been gone? Understandably, it had been a bad idea at best and a disastrous on at worse, but he had no other option. Besides she probably<p>

-hopefully- just woke up and went to go um replenish herself. There were no reports of bodies being drained dry so she hadn't gone berserk. "Cant you find her with your angel mojo." he tossed over his shoulder trying to sound as nonchalant as he _did not _feel.

It was that moment that the angel that the had little to none dealings with up until now grabbed, turned him and slammed him against the wall, holding him there by the throat. He scratched at the appendage trying to get him to let go, Sam walked in at that moment. "Hey! Hey! What's going on?" Sam looked between him and Balthazar, Dean only saw murder in the deep blue depths. "I _cannot _find her! I have searched…what have you done?" Balthazar let him go suddenly, turning away he began to pace the room his arms akimbo. "I have scanned the globe looking for her, I cannot _find _her." All this came out in a pained whisper.

Sam caught his eye and mouthed "Samuel", but it couldn't have been could it? He wouldn't have taken someone they considered family…_would he_?


	8. Chapter 8

_**A/N: **__I own nothing but my mistakes of which I am sure are plenty…_

_/Stand Up When It's All Crashing Down/_

"I'm still not at all sure about this." Sam murmured cleaning his gun for tonight, had to be ready right. Dean looked at his brother his gaze wary, had he heard the conversation between him and Cass, did he know what he did. That putting his soul back could kill him. Dean didn't think it would be as bad as all that, Sam was strong and why is it only he could see that. Sam was stronger than him, hell the kid was stronger than most people he knew. "Yeah well what other option do we have? Caroline's in there and we have a homicidal angel ready to smite us if we don't do something. And even if that wasn't the case she's our friend Sam, you may not remember that right not, but she would do the same thing for you."

Sam scoffed, "Right is that what your calling her these days Dean? Friend?"

"What's that supposed to me?"

"Just that you spend all this time moping around because of her feelings for Balthazar -which by the way, is weird- when you yourself don't even know how you feel."And you see that's not exactly true he did know how he felt. See the way he sees it things were bound to be confusing, she was brought back from the dead for chrissakes. He had Lisa, and Caroline was living it up, she was happy with Balthazar. You know he has never seen her that happy -well he heard about it at least- the only time she had been that happy was when they had been new. Before hell, before Ruby and everything that came after. Instead of answering his brother -he didn't have one anyways- he walks out side to fume.

"Well hello Deano." Dean spun around and saw someone he didn't think he would see again. "Meg?" He watched as she threw her head back and laughed. Shaking her head, hand on her hips and still chuckling she glared at him, as if he was responsible for all her troubles. He probably was. Okay not as if things could get any weirder, but they were working on it. Meg clapped her hands, a mean twist to her lips. "Wow and they call Sam the smart one." She spat her eyes flashing black, "Go on now pretty boy, get a move on, we have some business to deal with and your brother needs to be in on it." For one odd moment, he wondered how it was for those that had been taken. Yeah he was there and watched as the vampire alpha was taken off, but -you know what never mind he was so not even going there.

"Well if it isn't demon spawn." Sam deadpanned, his eyes glittering in the light from the hallway where he stood as he watched them walk back into the house. Meg sent Sam a smirk that could rival any he had seen before, and murmured, "Well, well Sam Winchester back from the dead. Wow you two just can't stay gone can you?"

"Stop stalling Meg." She paused gave a shake of her head, "Don't you two know anything?" with a flick of her wrist she sent them flying into a wall knocking off a photo. "I owe a certain bubble headed blond, believe it or not I do repay my debts, and you two…" she shook her head again. "Well you two I owe you for killing my boss." Sam snorted and well he couldn't help, but roll his eyes because a demon repaying debts that had nothing to do with blood and guts was just odd. "If it wasn't for Caroline, I would be dead, what with Crowley as the new king of hell."

See now he got it. All was clear as a bell now. "Okay so let me get this straight, Crowley wanted to clean out the stragglers, you know all the Lucifer followers." He says eyeing her. "And seeing as how your one of them, you were up on the list to die, but for what ever reason Caroline jumped in and saved your pathetic ass. Let me know if I'm getting anything wrong here?" Sam says grinning from ear to ear. Meg nodded, not denying anything. You know he was really starting to miss the old days. When everything was black and white and there were no alphas, no demons helping vampires -whatever the reason- or fairies for that matter. "Crowley has her you know. And trust me when I say that he's giving her the special treatment. Are you trying to tell me you don't want her out Dean? After everything?"

Meg cocked her head to one side eyeing him as if she knew everything that he thought or felt. Grinning suddenly she let him drop to the floor, leaving Sam pinned. She walked over to him, a mean glint in her eyes, but beyond that, Dean could see _something _flash in her eyes. And if he already didn't think of himself as crazy, he would think that Meg really did care about Caroline.

"You know Deano I could tell you what he's doing to her. I should know when I wasn't under Alistair's blade I was under his. Oh yeah even the king of crossroads took a turn in the pits. And let me tell you he is every bit as imaginative as our mutual friend." She said flicking her wrist again slamming him back into the wall, only to let him go again. "So I will only ask you just one more time, do you want to help her or not?"

* * *

><p>Caroline stared at the wall, feeing dead inside, she had woken up from that horrible place to find none other than Samuel leaning down over her. She hadn't been shocked, on some level she knew the day was coming; she just hoped that she was able to fight when it did. She hadn't been of course, nearly depleted from the days without blood, the horrible dreams; they had all served to make her very weak. She, however, didn't want to admit that, even sitting here in a dank cell that smelled of piss and death, she still didn't want to admit it. The things Crowley did to her, the things he made her feel, if she could shudder, she would, but she is long past that now. Her eyes are focused on a point only she could see, she does not move when they came for her again. They drag her out of her cell, her chains laced with vervain clanking loudly and burning her wrists. Screams of the damned echoing in the hallway all, screaming for help that would never come. Some would die here; others will live only to live out their days in torture.<p>

She will be one of those that live to be tortured day in a day out, for whatever reason Crowley was having fun with her. His cronies shoved her hard into a chair that she has come to know all to well in these few days. Or was it weeks? Hell it could be months and she wouldn't know. "Tell me what I want to know girl and I'll let you go." She gave a bitter bark of laughter at that. He would never let her go, because she will never tell him what he wants to know. But then again she doesn't know all that much anyways. Why he thinks she knows anything at all is beyond her, he knows about the wall blocking her memories of purgatory, maybe he just wants to know how she got out. He backhands her sending her head snapping to the right, blood spurting out of her mouth.

"Come on Caroline love," He paused to give her one of his smiles, ones that she's pretty sure worked on way to many people before her. "All you have to do is tell me what I want to know, and you can get back to your life." she could never get back to her life; he had pretty much made sure of that. She was _fucked _now and she had no hope for a savior. But none would be coming she had been betrayed. Or so she had been told, it didn't really surprise her though when Samuel had told her Sam had led them to her, that he told him how to get her. She felt betrayal building up, climbing up her throat to choke her; she knew the chances of Sam turning her over, but _Dean? _No she was having a hard time believing that, she had trusted the brothers, was there really a chance they had done this to her. _But why_? She didn't, _no couldn't _understand _why_, she had thought that they were friends.

She decided to fight back, knowing that all it would do is give her more pain, but as she hissed -feeling her fangs descend- she pulled her arm back and sent her fist flying into his jaw, as she heard the satisfying crack of bone she thought it was worth it. He picked her up by her throat, her toes struggling for hold on the cold concrete ground, her nails scratching her own skin in a frantic need to breathe. "You'll pay for that little stunt!" He snapped, she answered by spitting in his face. He held out a hand, and one of his minions placed a very familiar needle in his open palm. She put her feet on his thighs trying to break his hold, but she was weak from fighting and from having no -er- food, and he was…was so much _stronger _than _she was_.

He jabbed the needle in her thigh, she let out a scream that would curdle milk. Her body contorted as pain coursed through her, her skin felt like it was on fire, while her insides boiled. She coughed choking on any air she managed to bring in to her much-abused lungs. He brought his arm down letting her crumple to the ground in a heap of pain. She choked and sobbed, she thought she would be used to the pain by now. Crowley watched her, smiling as red-hot tears coursed down her dirty cheeks. Then this happened. "Sir we have a situation." "Mhmm, what would that be?" The bastard said his eyes never leaving hers.

"Samuel Campbell is here, said Dean and Sam are on their way." _Dean_, _he was coming_. Despite her trying to beat down that little kernel of hope, it began to spread. _Dean was here_. Then she remembered what Samuel had said to her, what Crowley had said. Were they here just to gloat, to lord over how they managed to get one over on her, on how they managed to dupe her? How they or at least Dean had made her believe that all was different. _No! _She gave a mental scream, _no Dean wouldn't do something like this, it just wasn't in him to do so._

Or maybe she was just that stupid, some how she didn't think so, Dean had accepted her for what she was, he found her after Klaus had changed her, he took care of her, he _saved her. _She just couldn't see him doing something like this. Had she been wrong, was she so lost, so _fucked _in the head, that she would actually believe that the one man, that continued to love her, _after everything, _would betray her in such a way. _Now _that _she could believe._

"Get ready for them, and take this one back to her cell, I'm done for the day." Again, she was pulled roughly from the floor her chains dragging on the ground. No matter how it had actually played out, she had once prayed for a savior, _now _she just prays for _death_.

* * *

><p>"All I'm saying is if I'm going to probably die for woody and buzz here, I should at least get a little angel action before I go." Meg murmured eyeing Castiel in a way that made Dean a bit uncomfortable. It was a little weird seeing anyone much less a demon, eye Cass that way. And since weird seemed to be their second name, why the hell not right. Yeah that seemed about right, because Castiel was now pressing Meg against the wall, crashing his lips over hers repeatedly. When he pulled away, Dean could have sworn he said, "Learned that from the pizza boy." Um ew. "Here you'll need this." Cass said passing over his angel blade.<p>

"Will it work on hellhounds?" Dean shrugged, Sam cocked his head, but it was Cass that answered. "I do not know." She nodded and for a brief moment, Dean saw fear flash in her eyes. "Hey one way to find out." She said with a shrug, just as a hellhound flung itself at the door. "Well what the hell you waiting, for an invitation? Get the hell out of here." Cass nodded a look that probably shouldn't have been witnessed, passed between them and they were off, but Meg calls over her shoulder a promise that she would work like hell to make it out alive. "Remember Crowley is mine." Dean smiled at her and couldn't believe he just did that, at some point he was just going to have to stop being shocked. They left Meg to battle it out, at least two of them hoping she makes it out.

They walked down the flight of stairs; he cringed every time a scream echoed. After watching what happened with the alpha vamp he didn't even want to know what was happening in here. However, he figured if rescuing Caroline meant dealing with this, well he had better just get used to it. He could understand where she would be coming from, he had been there himself and if what Meg said was true, then hell she was going to be a royal mess.

"Dean," Cass said suddenly stopping.

"What? What is it?"

"Hello boys." Samuel said looking rather guilty, that was just before he sent Cas away. Once their angel in the ace was gone, two demons appeared at their sides, pulling their arms behind their backs. Well this is fucked up now isn't it?

* * *

><p>Dean eyed the young woman that called herself family through the grate. He didn't know what to think of her just then, but she seemed (key word here is <em>seemed<em>) honest. And really how could he tell anymore, he has been lied to by everything and by everyone. He knows he should probably ask her something, like 'why are you doing this?' or 'does Samuel know your doing this? Is this a trap?' but he didn't he just kept his mouth firmly closed and watched as Gwen opened the lock on his cell.

"Get your brother and get out of here." She ordered once the door was open. And he would like to do just that, but he came here to do a job and it wasn't finished yet. But before he could say anything to her, she disappeared down the hallway. He ran over to Sam's cell and picked the lock, once that was done they scanned the cells, looking for Caroline. "_Fuck_." Was the first thing he said when he saw her. Sam picked the lock since he seemed unable to, once the door was thrown open he saw her cringing into the wall. Burns from the chains around her neck and wrists, she whimpered when he walked over to her.

"Caroline," He said his voice barley above a whisper, "Caroline it's me, its Dean. How about we get these chains off." she didn't answer just stared at him with dead green eyes. She had been crying, he could see the tracks from them on her dirty cheeks. Her hair was wild golden locks sticking up at every angle. He and Sam worked on the locks; once she was free, she made no move to relive her obvious pain. He sighs, puts her arm around his neck, and carried her out of the cell. They took halting steps, their pace slow and he wondered what the hell happened to her in here?

Just as they were about to leave she stops suddenly, looks into a cell were a girl with dark tattoos climbing up her arms sat cowering in a corner, that was until her eyes locked onto Caroline's. The girl jumped up begging, pleading to be let out and without a second thought with the last bit of strength, she must have had Caroline ripped the lock off the door. When the girl stood there mumbling, "Thank you." repeatedly Caroline shoved her against the door. Her normally light eyes dark with some emotion, boring into dark eyes Caroline growled, "Kill no one." The girl nodded. "Go." Again, the girl nodded and ran off. Before he or Sam could say a word Caroline turned to them, dead yet strangely burning with life eyes looked at him and none other. "She lives," He could do no more than nod.

After everything she had been through, he thinks he could give this to her. He blinks at her having no clue on what to think about her right now. Then all the life seemed to go out of her, and she crashed. He managed to get her before her head hit the ground. He hooked her arm around his neck and slid his arms under her, carrying her princess style. They followed the screams and the sarcastic laughter knowing he had to help one more person tonight, or demon in this case. He handed Caroline off to Sam once they reached the room Meg was in, and took the knife from Sam.

He walked into the room silent as night, not as if idiot there would hear him; he was to busy torturing Meg. Her eyes locked onto his for a moment and she laughed. "What's so funny?" The thing wearing Christian asked just as he shoved the blade in his back. "Dean _fucking _Winchester is behind you." She answered hoarsely as watched the red light crackle through the body. He could leave her here, he thought for a moment, but when she mumbled, "Thanks." he knew he couldn't do it so he untied her.

She walked with them her eyes flashing back and forth from Caroline to right in front of her, like she didn't want to be caught looking at the limp form in his arms. "In here," she said ducking into a room where she had Sam paint a devils trap on the ceiling. He sat Caroline up in a corner, not liking at all how she just sat there limply, blank eyes staring out into a world that couldn't understand what she was going through. "Vervain," His head shot up to look at Meg, who was staring down at Caroline. "He gave her vervain; she'll need to be watched for overdose. Crowley couldn't give a _fuck _if she died right here right now."

"I do to care." Meg snorted and rolled her eyes as she faced the demon. Dean let a smirk build on his lips Crowley was right where they wanted him. Crowley followed their looks and looked up at the ceiling. "Now that's not nice."

"Mhmm," Meg murmured twirling the demon killing blade in her hand, "now," She said turning to look at him and Sam, "once I go in there you will let me out right?" Dean grinned and gave a shrug he wouldn't say yes or no, but then again he did just save her ass from her demon pal. Meg stalked closer to Crowley fully expecting her to stab the bitch and be done. Yeah well when do things ever go as he expected. Crowley grabbed Meg by her throat and yanked the blade from her hand throwing it and into the ceiling. The ceiling cracked, Crowley still holding Meg by her throat turned to him and Sam.

But he wasn't looking at them he was looking at Caroline with a predatory gaze, one that set him on edge. Crowley lifted his hand and Dean looked over at Caroline to see pain etched on her face. Then she was screaming, her body contorting in a way that couldn't be possible. "You can still tell me Caroline. Where is your alpha?" Anger surged through Dean; even now, Crowley was hurting her. "I don't _know_!" she screamed out, Caroline twisted around until she was on her knees, painting she looked up at him with those dead green eyes.

Before any more damage could be done, Castiel reappeared dumping a bag of bones on the ground. Crowley froze and Caroline fell to the ground sobbing, now it was Crowley's turn to feel pain, he suddenly let go of Meg as Cass put fire on Crowley's bones. "Can you bring Sam soul back?" Cass asked looking thoroughly pissed off. Huh, he doesn't ever remember him looking that mad before. When Crowley didn't answer, fast enough Cass put fire to the bones again, making Crowley contort with pain. "No, _no_! Alright I was bluffing I can't do a damn thing to bring Sam's soul back from the cage." with one last blaze they watched as Crowley went up in flames and finally into a pile of ash. "He was telling the truth there wasn't anything he could do."

"Well that's my cue later boys, Clarence." With a nod in Caroline's direction, she blinked out.

* * *

><p>Dean laid Caroline down in the backseat of the Impala Castiel watching over him while Sam looked at the building they had just left. He had to talk to Cass and as he tried to pull away she grabbed his hand looking into his eyes with a bit of desperation she said, "Thank you, Dean." the light seemed to go out of her eyes after that returning to that dead look. He wanted so badly to brush away the hair that had fallen in front of her face, wanted so badly to tell her everything was going to be okay. But he knew they wouldn't be. He sighed and turned away from her, not looking at Castiel he said, "We have a building full of monsters that can't stay here, but we can't let them go either."<p>

"I understand." Sadly, Dean knew he did. He and Sam climbed into the Impala and as he drove off, he could see an explosion of white light and knew their little problem was taken care of. Now to take care of a bigger one.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Warnings: **__I realized something, these last three chapters have been very angsty, depressive and gruesome…I think its time I lightened up don't you think. Well there will be some significant lightening up in this chapter towards the end it maybe abrupt but it needs to happen that way or the angst will never stop and it does have to stop eventually… so please enjoy and huge thanks to Voodooman…really thank you_

_**Suggested Listening: **__Set fire to the Rain by Adele or Snow Patrol Chasing Cars_

_/Your Not Broken, Just Bruised/_

The drive back to Bobby's is long mostly because of the silence, its almost deafening. His eyes kept creeping to the huddled figure in the back seat her eyes glued to the window watching the scenery blow by. Her eyes still had that dead look to them; her knees were pulled up to her chest. The blood that coated her face and clothes was beginning to flake. "Caroline…" he started but she just ignored him sighing he tried again. "Look I don't…""Your right you have no idea so…" Her voice cracked and more tears slipped from her raw eyes. "Please just take me _home_." how could he ignore a plea like that. So instead of trying to get her to talk, he just stomps on the gas and guns it to Bobby's. It isn't long before he is pulling up under the Singer Salvage sign. He heaves a sigh of relief when he sees it. He opens her door for her and takes her hand, holding her steady as she climbs out on shaky legs. "Good God!" he heard Bobby mutter as he stomped down the rickety front porch steps.

"What the hell happened to her?" The question is what _didn't _happen to her. That one would be easier to answer. He looks at her as she crosses her arms over her chest; her eyes are blank as she scans the yard as if she was looking for someone. Out of nowhere Balthazar appears and her face crumples, the mask of composure she so prides herself on slips. Fresh tears stream down her face as she takes off at a run, tripping slightly in her hast, but Balthazar catches her and with a grateful look tossed his way he takes off, taking Caroline with him.

* * *

><p>His fingers trail over the blood that coats her face; her eyes are rimmed in red. "Save me," she whispers her voice cracking in the end. "Wake me from this nightmare." he wraps his arms around her and pulls her close; he will save her if it is the last thing he does. He carries her to the bathroom and turns the water on for her, she watches him with doleful eyes as he leaves her to the business of cleaning up.<p>

Later when they are lying in bed, her arms wrapped around him tightly, as if she was afraid that if she let go all this would disappear, he runs his hands through her hair, wishing her to get some sleep, but knowing it would have to be hard. He doesn't know where she was or who had her, he just knows that when he finds out he was going to _kill _the bastard himself.

* * *

><p><em>She was in the chair again, it had all been a dream, lying in Balthazar's arms had been nothing more than some torturous dream. It had been wonderful while it lasted. Crowley strode towards her a gun in his hands, she knew it was loaded with wooden bullets. Without a word, he aimed and pulled the trigger, the bullet landing in her chest. She coughed and wheezed it was laced with vervain, his favorite form of torture for her. He gets a kick out of how it makes her scream in pain. "Why…why are you doing this?" she whispered the pain in her chest to much as the bullet wiggled free. <em>

"_I want to know where Klaus is of course." he said heaving his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. "I…I told you already, I don't…" she screamed again when he shot her once more. "Please…please I don't _know_!" He shook his head; he never did like her answers. He waved his hand at his cronies and they unlocked the cuffs. Half carrying her half dragging her as they took her over to a wall, where Crowley shoved to long wooden spikes through her shoulders. Her scream was lost upon them, her throat hurt so badly, it felt raw. "Then tell me how you got out of purgatory?" Again, she told him she didn't know, she had told him everything she remembered from when she woke up, and it wasn't much she just remembered Balthazar's blue eyes looking down on her as he told her to breathe. "Please…"she whimpered, "please…"_

* * *

><p>He looked out the window not even noticing the world around them, his thoughts solely focused on the woman on the bed, he spun around when he heard her whimper. "Please…" she moaned begging for something or someone to stop. "Please…I don't…please just <em>stop<em>…" he strode over to the bed as she began to sob brokenly, laying his hand on top of her forehead he allowed himself to see into her mind. He didn't like what he saw. "Caroline…love. Come on wake up." he said patting her cheek hoping to get through some how.

* * *

><p>"<em>How did you get out of purgatory?" He asks her again his tone succulent, she just whimpers and shakes her head. Doesn't he get it she doesn't know? "Sir," One of his cronies murmured as he walked into the room. She knows this one…this one…he…oh God, she didn't even want to think about it. "Yes what is it?" Crowley snapped turning away from her giving her a reprieve from the torture. Crowley liked her liked the way she screamed, she didn't want him liking her it only foretold more horrors to come. "Samuel Campbell is here." <em>

_The demon scum nodded and turned back to look at her. "You should thank him my dear. If it were not for him, I wouldn't have you." Her murmured seductively as he cupped her chin, lifting her face up so he could look into her eyes he murmured, "I've never had one of your kind on my table before." Oh she was going to thank him all right, just let the fucker get within her reach. "Been doing this for long?" She spat out. He just laughed and walked away._

"_Caroline…come on my dear open those eyes." she heard the words deep inside her mind, but put it off demon scum was probably just playing tricks on her. He has a menagerie of creatures in this hell hole, all with different abilities all he had to do was make a promise and they would take the deal. Not that he would ever stick to it. She heard more voices and looked up to see Samuel and Crowley walking back into the room. "Come to see you handy work?" she wheezed. Looking at him, she saw the disgust in his eyes and…it couldn't be he couldn't feel regret could he? Probably just another trick of the mind. _

_They turned away from her; she looked around making sure no one was paying any attention to her. When the coast was clear, she inched her hand up and jerked one of the spikes free. Biting her lip to contain her groan of pain, she wrenched the other one free, it was either fight or die, she for one wanted to fight. She threw the spike smiling when it hit home right in Samuel's shoulder, ripping the other spike from her shoulder, she made a break for it, stabbing Crowley in the neck as he came towards her. She only made it just past the door when one of the cronies grabbed her around the waist, but it didn't matter she had tried. _

_He carried her back into the room; she hissed and kicked all the way. She couldn't just give up it wasn't in her to do so. They were just too strong for her however; the crony threw her onto her back her head slamming into the ground, Crowley stood over her blood oozing from the wound where she stabbed him. "You made me bleed," he murmured raising his hand, he poised to shoot, "I don't like it when I bleed." he pointed the gun at her head, but just before he could the trigger the scenery changed._

_She was standing in a field full of wild flowers that reached to her knees, she knows this place. She looked around her seeing the gentleman buttons, the wild roses and the buttercups that popped up out of nowhere, she watched in amazement as Bonnie and Elena came running up to her. Their little girl faces lit up with smiles, they were little girls again. That's how she knows this place…when they were little their dads used to bring them here. When they were just girls, before Bonnie knew she was a witch, before Elena was known as a doppelganger, before her own transformation as a vampire. When the world was still a bright and shiny place to feel…_happy_. Elena took her hand and it felt so warm, so _real_, Bonnie grasped the other one and they took off at a run laughing and giggling. _

_She looked back behind her still expecting to see Crowley, but was instead greeted with the image of her father. His face lit up as he smiled at them he looked over at his friends, Bonnie and Elena's dads, she saw them smiling as well. She stopped suddenly and pulled away from her friends, turning away she ran for the man that she missed, the man that she would never see again. He threw his arms wide open and he caught her up in his big strong arms. Telling her in his way that everything was going to be okay._

* * *

><p>She woke slowly her eyelids fluttering like little butterflies, the first thing she saw was a pair of blue eyes boring into hers, <em>Balthazar. <em>He leans away from her as she pushes herself up into a sitting position, but not moving so far away to where she couldn't touch him if she wanted to. She wrapped her arms around her knees, resisting the urge to latch onto him. He stands up his eyes never leaving hers; she knows he helped her, that it was him that gave her that image. The image she needed to wake up from that nightmare, but neither one of them said a word. He leaned down, cupped her neck with his palm and pressed his lips to her forehead. A decision had been made while she was sleeping she could feel it in her bones, could feel the way it warmed her to her core. He pulled away from her his eyes bright, "I'll go and get you something to eat." he murmurs. She smiles up at him, it is a ghost of her smile, but it is a beginning at least. She watches him go and for once…she doesn't feel so alone.

* * *

><p>"Don't be a stranger." she says to him as their standing outside of Bobby's home. He smiles at her, it makes her heart do funny things; "Of course not." he looks worn, tired and not for the first time she wonders just what he went through. She knows it had to be tuff on him to watch her go through that nightmare. She wraps her arms around him, loving the feel of his body pressed against hers, she wished they had more time together and maybe someday soon they will, but for now, she had a job she had to get back to. He presses his lips to hers, she wished he could stay, but that wasn't going to happen she wasn't the only one with a job to do. He pulls away a little and looks down at her, their eyes locking, even though she isn't fond of choices being made without her -much less when she was unconscious- she is very happy with the one that he has made.<p>

Hers was made just before that awkward conversation with Lisa, "Try not to get caught up in more messes my dear, I would hate to have to kill someone." he states in that languid way of his. She smiles at him, because they both know that if Cas hadn't gotten to Crowley first, he would have, she will sleep better with the knowledge that Crowley is dead. She pulls away and walks up the steps, her footing surer than they have been in a long time; to long it was time she got back to the business of being herself again. Turning back so she can see him one more time, she waves and watches him disappear with a flutter of wings.

She had seesawed about her relationship with Balthazar, not about her feelings, she was always sure about those, at first it had seemed natural to fall in love with him. He had been there when she woke up his calm, clear voice helping her to ground herself. She trusted him, was the only one she could remember, then it just seemed odd, he didn't want her or at least acted that way, staying away from her never answering her calls. She shakes her head at that, here he was angel he should have known better, should have know that when there is a pull that is as strong as their's there is no staying away.

Now, she thinks as she poised her hand to knock on the old wooden door, now it just seemed so right, everything was beginning to fall into place. Stefan once told her that 'sometimes you have to go through hell, to reach heaven'. Smiling to herself, she knocked on the door, her smile changing into a grin when Bobby answered the door. "Caroline?" patting his chest in welcome she moved past him smiling at his bemused look. "Hiya Bobby." she murmured stopping in the hallway, she turned to look at him. She saw the weary lines around his eyes the dark half moons, he looked so tired, so much that she knew it couldn't have been she that made him look that way. "Where's the rest of Scooby gang?" Don't think that little twitch went unnoticed, she just isn't about to call him on it right now. "In the den." she nods and walks into the den where Dean is sitting behind the desk his head in his hands looking so worn and tired.

Sam was on the couch a book in his lap there was something different about him, usually in the months since both of their returns when he relaxed it was always in a vary indolent way. He didn't care if someone attacked him, he would just take care of it, she knows she has seen him bash a guy's nose in without any of the qualms the old Sam would have possessed. However, this guy sitting on the old and musty couch, well he looked, acted very much like…like _Sammy. _"Hello boys." she muttered their eyes jumped up and locked onto her, suddenly she felt very self-conscious. She bit her lip and shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket, silently begging at them to quit starring. The room was quiet for a very long time, long enough to make her want to fidget. "Care?" Sam spoke first, sounding so like Sammy that she wanted to cry. "You good now?" she canted her head her hair falling over her shoulder as she peered at him.

"Could ask the same thing of you. You're…your back aren't you?" She is pretty positive that didn't even come out as a coherent sentence, but Sam smiled and it was a smile from the old days, from before Hell and purgatory, when they were all still fresh and young. When not everything had seemed so doom and gloom. She couldn't stand it, couldn't wait for him to say another word, she just artlessly threw herself at him wrapping her arms around his neck. "It is _so _good to have you back!" she murmured sniffling slightly into his neck. He patted her back, burying his face into her hair she heard him mumble, "It's good to have you back to." This was how things should have happened between the two of them. She may have been his brother's girlfriend at one point in time, but she has always been Sam's friend he was the brother she never had.

They pulled away, her wiping at a few stray tears, him pretending that his expressive hazel eyes didn't twinkle with a few tears of his own. She looked over at Dean who was now propped up against the desk, his arms crossed over his chest, but he was smiling. She couldn't help thinking that this was how they should have been reunited this was how it should have happened. But she wouldn't weigh herself down with what ifs life is how life is and that is all there is to it. "So, what have you two been working on while I was out of it?" she asked clapping her hands together in front of her. "Well while you were taking a cat nap." she snorted at that. "We found something about The Mother."

"Wait is it the same mother the Alpha was talking about?"

"Dunno, just know that they call her The Mother of All."

"Well that's cryptic."

"Tell me about it."

She watches as Dean gets up and walks back around the desk, he sits down in the chair and resumes what he was doing. She looks over at Sam, but he just shrugs, "So Freddy," she murmurs walking over to the desk; she hops up onto it and crosses her legs. "I wouldn't go there if I were you." she laughs she knows where this is going they have had this little tit-for-tat before. It never fails to make her laugh except this time he switches it up on her. "Please…so where's the ascot?" he looks up at her a devilish glint in those golden flecked green eyes of his. "Alright…why don't you tell me Ros…" she cuts him off with a swipe of her hand. "Do not! Don't you even dare!" she sends Sam a glare when she hears him chuckling, he just looks back at her acting as innocent as he could while grinning like a mad man. "Look I know you like the book and all, but," she muttered tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Hey I'm not the one that read it! That was Sam over there."

"Hey!" Sam snapped. She tossed her head back and laughed it was _good _to be _home_.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Suggested Listening:** Make a Move by Icon For Hire_

_/Forgive Me for What I Have Done/_

Their sitting at Bobby's rickety table, she's holding a mug of coffee in her hands and him…well he's just trying really hard not to break his own hands, he's gripping them to tight, the thing is she knows it to. He wants to talk to her about everything, about them…and yet not about them. He just wants to know where they all stand, she put up a pretty good front yesterday -then again, she has always been good at that- but he could still see the horrors of what she went through lurking in her green eyes. That and he still remembers her soft plea to not hurt her. "How are you…really?" he asks her finally breaking the silence, she raises one slim eyebrow, silently telling him that this was new for him. Yeah he gets that, the whole share and care thing is new for him. Being a sorta step-dad does that to a guy.

"Seriously Caroline, don't give me the 'I'm fine' crap." she rolls her eyes at him, but finally relents. "I'm better…no seriously. I mean its hard trust me, God is it hard, but," she pauses to let a mall smile flit across her lips. "I'm working through it. It helps that Crowley is dead." he figures as much things got a little better for him once Alistair was dead and gone. "Did Samuel…did he really…?" he trailed of he couldn't bring himself to ask. He wanted, no needed to know just what their so called family was capable of, but he was also afraid to hear it. "…Yes." she hissed. There was anger dancing in her eyes, anger and…satisfaction. "Do I even want to know?""Just know that the bastard's right shoulder is going to be bugging him for a bit." her smile was…well kinda scary. "Oh…" He was cut short by Sam bursting into the kitchen. "Hey I think we have a hunt to head out to." Caroline took a sip of her coffee like nothing in the world was bothering her. "Yeah, where?"

"Its coordinates to a town in Rhode Island."

* * *

><p>"Ya know I still don't think this is a good idea." she stated again, for what felt like the hundredth time, but it was probably only the fifth time or so. "You have no idea how many times in the last week one of us has said that." Dean muttered as the Impala flew by the welcome to Rhode Island sign. Actually she could take a pretty good guess; she's known them for what…phfft, to long to even count. There have been plenty of times where the good ol' 'I don't think this is a good idea' phrase has been said, and under different circumstances. But this is Sammy they were talking about and no matter which way you look at it that was always going to mean, they were going to do everything in their power to protect him. In her mind they had even more reason than before; according to Dean when Death put his brother's soul back -apparently she missed a lot- he put up a wall. Something very similar to what she had, had only <em>different<em>. Different because Sam didn't know he had a wall that was put up. The kid didn't even know he had lived a whole year and then some without his soul.

"Well what other option do we have?" she could think of a few other options and catching Dean's eye in the rearview mirror she knew he felt the same way. But what Sam wants is what Sam gets. Sighing she canted her head silently agreeing with him, but unwilling to actually state it. Dean parked the Impala in the parking space in front of the motel room. She brushed past the brothers and made a beeline for the bed furthest away from the door; tossing her bag on the bed she claimed it for her own. "Hey! Where do I sleep?" she turned to look at Sam. "Where do you think genius?" It wouldn't be the first time they shared a bed, they would continue to do so as long as they had to share a room. Because she was so not sleeping on the couch, those things were never, comfortable and she couldn't sleep with Dean. Somehow she didn't think Lisa would like that very much.

Balthazar had given her unlimited access to one of his accounts, but she was saving that, she had other plans for that money something she hoped would benefit them all. She just had to test a few things out see if it was worth it. "So what do we do first?" she asked plopping down on the bed. Sam was busy getting out his lap top, while Dean fortified the place. "Well there have been three disappearances in the last month or so…" he trailed off and Dean picked it right up. "We start there." she nodded picked up the pile of newspapers and halved it with Dean. Laptops were great, personally she couldn't live without hers, but there are some things that were done better the old fashioned way.

Frustrated she tossed the last paper she had on hand to the floor and glared at the clock. Six o'clock and they still hadn't gotten anywhere. "I'm hungry." she states earning her twin looks of um…you know what she would rather not go there. "That is so _not _what I meant!" with a shake of his head Sam laughed. "There's a restaurant a block over," he mutters. He was in the act of closing his laptop when he stopped suddenly, looking up at them with worried eyes. He wasn't the only one.

* * *

><p>"Tell me again how you know this place?" Dean asked as they were seated at a table. Sam shrugged his shoulders as he looked around the place scanning the crowed if you will. He just couldn't shake the feeling that he knew this place. Having Caroline and Dean look at him like they were, wasn't helping matters any. "My name is Sandra and I'll be your waitress tonight." Sandra the waitress murmured without looking at them as she pulls out her little tablet. "So what can I get…hey…I know you!" she exclaims. He doesn't miss the looks that pass between his brother and his friend. Ever since he woke up his brother and Bobby have been acting weird, well weirder than usual at least. He knows something big went down when he was out for the count; he just wished he knew what, and why Dean was treating him like he was made of glass.<p>

"You…you do?" he stuttered addressing Sandra and ignoring -for now at least- Dean and Caroline. "Yeah, you're…um…" she muttered, snapping her fingers as she tried to remember his name. "Agent Sparks, you came in with your partner…but I can't remember him. You beat the clock." he heard Dean murmur, "Huh." but he ignored it. "Yeah we have this deal if you can eat the monster your meal is free. Well you ate it in no time, then you bought a couple rounds of beers for the place." he frowned you would think a thing like _that _would be something he would remember. _Why doesn't he remember that_? "That's wonderful and all, but could please take our orders Sandra." Came Caroline's low murmur, none so politely reminding Sandra of her job. "Sure what can I get you?"

"What the hell was that?" Caroline hissed as soon as Sam was up and out of earshot. "How the hell am I supposed to know?" He snapped back. This wasn't supposed to be happening, Sam wasn't supposed to remember a thing about his life from before. She just glared at him; he was waiting for her to give him a piece of her mind. And why not he's already heard it from Bobby and Cas how stupid of an idea that this was. He was playing with matches as he sat in a pile of kindling; he knew that _nobody _knew that better than he did. She surprised him however; she just closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "You better hope this plan of yours doesn't back fire Dean. From what you told me…" she trailed off she didn't need to say more. "I know."

When Sam came back he saw Caroline stirring her tea, mumbling something about northerners not knowing how to make sweet tea, Dean was studiously stuffing his mouth earning him a disgusted, but amused glare from Caroline. "Well," he said sitting down at the table and tossing down the photo he had found. "I know who I came here with." he points at the familiar bald man sitting next to him in a photo. There are two very different reactions from the people sitting at the table, three if you count his, but since he isn't he'll point out his brother and friends' reaction instead. To say they were on the opposite end of the spectrum was like saying Antarctica was cold.

Dean glared down at the photo his hands clenching and unclenching, his knuckles turning white, Caroline turned as pale as a sheet and reared back like someone had slapped her. Fear was written all over her face, fear so palpable he could almost taste it in the air. Dean as if sensing her distress, reached across the table and grabbed her hand, taking it in one of his own. He didn't understand the…the…well violent reaction from these two. He had thought while things couldn't have been great, he didn't think they were that bad. "Care, hey are you okay?" he asked concerned, he takes her other hand in his, feels how icy her skin feels. She gives them both a wane smile, but he could see all sorts of horrors flashing through her eyes, she never was very good at hiding things at least not from him, Dean and Bobby. "I'm fine," she murmurs retrieving her hands from theirs.

* * *

><p>Shivering slightly she sat down on the bench just outside their motel room, there was no way she was going to let the image of Samuel Campbell break her. She was <em>Caroline Forbes <em>damn it! She didn't break she fought, she made sure that her life went how _she _wanted it, plain and simple. So screw the bald fucker. "Such mean thoughts," murmured a deep languid voice. She looked up into the blue eyes she knows so well and smiled. "Hello, I see you took my stranger talk seriously." he nodded and sat down next to her. Putting his arm around her shoulders she snuggled into his embrace. "Having a hard time, my little blood thirsty savage?" Narrowing her eyes, she glared out into the dark night, nodding grimly she tried putting all thoughts of the Campbell patriarch out of her mind. "How's the mission going?" He hedged around the issue, his frown deepening, but she couldn't understand why. Finally he looked at her and said, "Better than to be expected."

He was worried that the angels would come after her, Cass was worried about it to, and hence why he kept them out of the more important details. But if it all worked out there shouldn't be a need to worry, and since she had Balthazar, who was an expert of sorts at weaponry, she knew it would all work out the way it should. She smiled up at him momentarily forgetting all the troubles that plagued them at the moment. Sensing his mood change she looked up at him inquiringly. He was always so jovial, and now he was very serious.

"Caroline…I…there will be things I will be forced to do in this battle." he paused and stood up to pace, his arms akimbo. "I need you to understand the things I will have to do will be…it will benefit us all." she could understand that. Living with Dean and Sam gave her certain knowledge. She knows by know in war time -no matter how much she didn't like it- there were certain things that needed to be done.

She stands up and walks over to him, her hands sliding up his chest to rest on his heavily burdened shoulders. "Balthazar…if anyone can understand that, it's me." He looks at her his eyes full of an inner struggle and nods. The next thing she knows his lips on hers and her is world spinning in a haze. They are a tangle of limbs and lips, caressing touches full of need and lust. She hops up and wraps her legs around his waist and the parking lot disappears.

* * *

><p>Sam surveyed the area, there was just something about this place that struck a cord somewhere in his mind. It was as if a thin layer of grime was covering a window he was trying so hard to look through, he'd wipe away the grime only to find hazy images of people he didn't know. But felt like he should. Sighing he climbed out of the Impala and shut her door. Good lord, he's been spending too much time with Dean again, shaking his head at the errant thought, he looked up at the police building. Agent Sparks -whoever you may be- was apparently back and ready to roll. Well sort of at least.<p>

"I can't believe you would even dare to come back!" someone exclaimed, he sounded very shocked and his voice tinged with anger. He turned around slowly, he knew that voice -can't remember from where, but he knew it. "Um, excuse me," he started ready to shovel out bullshit like a pro, but when he looked down at the man -that was considerably shorter than him- he could feel some of that grime wash away. He had flashes of a memory one he didn't know he had, it was of him sending his fist into _this _guys face repeatedly. "Well I said to myself, if that damn agent -_if _that's what you really are- ever came back around, that I was going to be the one to arrest you." Sam was in such shock over the memory and the little mans ramblings that he just let himself get slammed on the Impala's hood.

* * *

><p>Dean was a bit frantic, he'd been waiting for Caroline to come back after talking it over, they had decided to split up, Caroline took one victim, he another and Sam had one. By now he was the only one to have come back, admittedly he knew he wouldn't be such on edge if it weren't for that text message, Sammy's wall and all of Caroline's shit to boot. This was just too much for a person to handle. Growling in frustration he grabbed his jacket and threw the door open ready to go on the search, or he would have if Caroline hadn't been at the door her eyes wide key card in hand. "Where the hell have you been?" he snapped. It might have been the wrong thing to say to her, years on the road have left her with a bit of a temper, one that Sam swears she learned from him. She dropped her hand, the card crumbling beneath her fingers -she'll need a new one- and her eyes narrowed.<p>

"Watch it Winchester!" she snapped brushing past him, almost knocking him on his ass. "Hey princess, ever hear of picking up a phone?" _Insert foot into mouth_. "Don't worry your pretty little head Freddy, obviously I'm fine." growling at her was getting him nowhere, besides he didn't all that much care for the taste of foot, and he wished she would stop comparing him to that blond guy from Scooby Doo. "Whatever, where have you been?" she sent him a smile that was a bit mischievous. "Learning that our Sammy had a very healthy appetite." there were something's a man didn't need to know about another man, especially if that man was his brother. "Funny thing I learned the same thing. All these years…" he trailed off, all these years he had picked on his brother about his semi-celibate state, and here he was knocking boots with every girl in this town. "There's a pattern here." She murmured absentmindedly. Yeah he had noticed it to, thing is he didn't know if it would pan out considering, Sam wasn't here to tell them about the other girl. "Have you seen Sam?"

* * *

><p>Ever get that weird feeling someone was watching you? Where you feel like your skins is crawling with some invisible bug, yeah well standing here outside of Mrs. Dobbs home he was getting that feeling. He pulled his gun out of the waist of his jeans and trained it on the shadows, moving silently so as not to alert whoever may -or may not- be in those shadows. He looked around the corner and into the bushes he saw…nothing, his mind must be overdrive. Sighing he reholstered his gun and walked back over to the door, he was greeted by Brenna Dobbs. "Sam…" she trailed off and looked around before letting him in the house.<p>

"So…you really don't remember a thing?" Brenna Dobbs asked him, he stopped looking through her husbands files on the missing men to look up at her. "Yeah…" he paused to lick his lips wondering just how much he should tell her. Suddenly realizing how much he had already told her, he puts the files down and looks at her, really looks at her. He is of the impression that she is a strong woman, and from what she has already told him he believes that assessment to be true. Sighing he brought his hands together and looked down at the carpet.

"I mean…since coming here I've had these…these flashes. But honestly I don't remember much." she sighed and looked away for a moment, whatever sparkle of hope she had, the hope for information about her husband had been dashed. "I'm sorry Brenna…" he started, he really was sorry, he wished there was something he could do for her. She cut him off with a sad smile and said, "It's not okay but I'll get there." Half an hour later he walked out of her house case files in hand. "Thank you for these." she smiled and said, "Help theses families where we couldn't Sam." he nodded promising to do just that. Whatever this was he planned on killing it and giving this place the peace he couldn't before.

That creepy feeling was back as he walked back out to the Impala, no matter how much he wanted to he wouldn't turn around and look. Opening the rear driver side door he slid the box onto the seat, with a casualness he didn't feel he turned to look out into the night and…_nothing_. He huffed his breath making a little white cloud; this was getting a bit old. Before he could put away his gun though a very familiar voice called out to him. "Sam? What are you doing here?" the familiar bald man murmured as he walked over to where he stood his mouth slightly open and feeling utterly shell shocked. "Samuel?"

The ride back to the motel had been a silent one, not the comfortable kind, but the awkward kind. The thing is he was only now thinking just what Caroline and Dean were going to say. He didn't forget about their reactions when they had discovered he had come here with Samuel, just a momentary relapse. "So uh," he started, but then stopped he had no clue on where to even begin, Samuel his mothers father, his _grandfather _was nothing more than one of those hazy images through the grimy window. "Did you get the same text message I did?" Samuel asked after a moment. "Mhmm."

When he pulled up to the motel room he knew Dean and Caroline would probably be worried, he never did call them, but he never expected this. "Where the hell have you been!" they both yelled as they stormed out of the motel room. Is that what he and Dean sound like when they do that? If so man that was just weird. They were in such an uproar they didn't even noticed Samuel until the other man cleared his throat. And if he thought their first reaction was an uproar well this was like world war three. Caroline stepped back a mixture of anger and fear skittering across her face, "You!" she hissed, she sped backwards until her back hit the wall, and Dean? Well he had to keep his brother from putting his fist in their grandfather's face.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up around here!" Dean snarled. There were a bunch of hey you and threats about a fist in face, those were from Dean, or knee in a certain place a woman's knee should never go unless she was being attacked. That was from Caroline, she shouted those from her place against the wall. He was trying his hardest to keep his very pissed off brother in place while making sure Caroline didn't go running off. It was hard work when Dean was gun hoe about something; well there was just no stopping him. So he decided to appeal to his brother on another level, the one place he knew he could always reach him, "Dean stop, look at Caroline." his brother looking back at the all too pale blond only served one purpose, that was to get his brother on a whole new level of angry. Samuel stood back letting Sam take care of this mess that he had created.

"Dean! Will you please _stop_!" he gritted out his jaw clenched so tight he felt like it was about pop. "How's the shoulder ass…" Caroline shouted only to have him cut her off. "Care, stop that!" Heaving a frustrated sigh he shoved his brother away from Samuel, tossing him and the old man a look he just snapped, "What the hell is going on!" he finally seemed to reach Dean in the anger haze he had fallen into. He stopped himself up short and looked at him; Sam didn't like what he saw. The thing is he had no clue where it was coming from. "Sorry Sammy," Dean muttered panting like he was out of breath as he glared at Samuel. "I think its best if you go." Sam stated without another glance at Samuel, instead he kept his eyes -albeit a little wearily- on his brother and friend. Samuel threw up his hands and backed away, "Hey you're the one invited me over here." with that he walked away disappearing into the night.

Caroline pushed away from the wall with huff; she shoved her hands in her pockets. Sam noticed how stiff she was, it scared him a bit he had never seen her act like that before. "Dean…what the hell was that about?" Dean didn't answer for a moment and Sam looked at them both and then the area they were in, they had garnered an audience, but the few people that were loitering quickly went behind closed doors. "Look…it's a long story, one I don't want to get into right now." he nodded because really what else could he do. Just as they were all walking back into the motel room his head started to hurt and he crashed to his knees.

_Blood there was blood everywhere, he had sliced off a woman's head except that she wasn't a normal human woman her eyes, they were_, _they were all crazy looking, like a spider. He looked over at the men that were all bound up nice and tight by the spider's web, he looked over at Samuel who just nodded. They both know what they needed to do; he spared a glance at the Sheriff Dobbs not really caring that he was among the men that had gotten themselves killed. Sure it could have been pointed out that it was Samuel and his fault, the blame _could _be laid at their door, oh well the man shouldn't have raised his hand in class. They poured gasoline and salt on the bodies trailed a line of gasoline to the outside, once they were in the clear Sam lit the match and they ran, taking cover when the building exploded. _

_There was a cop on their trail, he was pretty sure he could loose him if the dude would just slack up. "Your not going to loose him Sam," Samuel muttered clenching the oh shit bar for dear life. Sam just shrugged and pulled over to the side. He opened the van door and climbed out, only barely noticing Samuel do the same. "Agent Sparks? Agent Bail?" Sam gave the man a smile hoping to confuse him long enough to get the hell out of dodge, but the man was to astute for his own good. "Is…is that blood?" he asked a tremor to his voice as he pulled his gun. "I really wished you hadn't just done that." he said sounding put upon, now he would have to get rid of the guy. _

He woke up to two pairs of green eyes staring down at him, both were full of worry. "Sammy oh thank god!" his brother exclaimed a trifle too loud. Sam groaned and gripped his head as Dean and Caroline helped him to stand. "What happened?" he groaned all he remembers were of the dreams or memories, he had been so cold so… "What did you do Dean? What did you do?" he snapped pulling away from them. Were they lying to him now, what else were they keeping from him?

* * *

><p>Caroline backed away and flopped down on the bed, she knew that this was a bad idea, but what could she say the damage had already been done, and now Sam knew that there was something off about it all. How he knew was a big question but not an important one, what was important was Sam and what else he remembered. It was like with her when she had met Bobby he had been her trigger to remember them all, and then when she saw that damn Alpha. She shuddered inwardly at her own issues, but again they weren't important. She looked up at Sam at the two men that she loved and called family. He looked so upset and Dean looked terrified. "What did you do Dean?" Sam repeated hoarsely like all the fight had left him.<p>

"I…I had to Sam…I just had to…" Sam cut him off with a swipe of his hand; she could tell he was in no mood to hear any of his brother's pleas. "Tell me what you did." his hazel eyes glittered and she felt a pain in her chest for these two. They had been through so much, fought so hard to live their lives free from angels and destiny, they had lost so much, couldn't they just have _one _moment of peace. "You had no soul Sam….if…I didn't do this you would have stayed that way." Dean gave a helpless wave of his hands, "I couldn't just stand back and let you stay there." He said in a hoarse whisper, when Sam still didn't say anything he looked to her, not knowing where to go from here. "Sam," she said stepping in, she caught his eyes and saw his face crumple before her, but ever the strong man he quickly wipes it away. "Care the things I did…" she nodded she knew what he was talking about. The hunts they had gone on when Dean had left to be with Lisa and Ben. "I put you in danger."

She shook her head walking over to him like he was a wounded animal, in a way he was. "I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for the job." she stated firmly. There was no way in hell she was going to let him feel guilty for Robo Sam, it wasn't his fault. "But…" she shook her head and was about to tell him to shut the hell up, when his phone went off. "Hello," he murmured sending her and Dean helpless looks. "Brenna…wait…slow up…" she could hear a crash followed by a woman's scream, Sam shouted into the mouth piece, "_BRENNA_!"

* * *

><p>They had made it to Brenna Dobbs house in record time; it was a new one for Dean. Sam flew out of the car before it even came to a complete stop, his gun raised, she climbed out shutting the door behind her and sniffed the air she couldn't tell if anything was off, but then again there were new kinds of monsters roaming around none of which she had ever dealt with before. The same could be said about Dean as well, the only one who knew any of this shit was Bobby and Sam. They walked into the house checking it out, but she stayed outside, she heard something rustling in the bushes. Now hindsight is as always twenty-twenty, but she never was a big believer in hindsight. Her gun raised she moved around the side of house, she wasn't worried -should have been her first clue- she could out run and fight most things. Just as she was moving towards the bushes something jumped out at her catching her off guard, "<em>DEAN<em>!"

* * *

><p>When she awoke she saw a man standing over…what the hell were they doing here? Sam and Dean must have gotten caught after she had been taken. "Hey!" she hissed getting the man's attention, trying to get him away from the brothers. The man hissed back and turned crazy spider eyes on her. Well <em>fuck! <em>"Get away from them!" the man -_thing_- laughed and walked away not even bothering with a response. She struggled to get free trying to rip the spiders silk to shreds, who knew the stuff was stronger than a vampire. "…Caroline…" Dean groaned. "Oh thank god I thought you were dead!"

"Could have said the same about you." he mumbled struggling himself to get free of the sticky residue. "Sam! Sammy!" he shouted when Sam groaned and began coming around. "_Fuck!_" she seconded that sentiment. "Oh your awake." man with the spider eyes stated as he strolled in, she took note -albeit a little late- of his sheriffs uniform, it sent a spike of longing in her chest and she suddenly missed her mom. "Sam Winchester," the monster started again, just as she heard a faint sawing sound, she turned a little her eyes never leaving Sam and saw Dean sawing at the spider web.

"Sheriff Dobbs…" Sam greeted, the monster, formally known as sheriff Dobbs grabbed the spider web and ripped, hauling Sam to his feet he slammed him into a wall. Dean's efforts increased. She to looked around for something, anything to cut away this crap, finally finding something she began to saw away. "It's your fault I'm this way, you let me get taken. She didn't want to kill me, although you and your partner apparently thought she did." leave it to monsters give them enough leeway and they monolog. "No all she wanted was to turn me into one of her, it worked as you can see." the thing stated waving a hand at his body.

Soon Dean was free and shoving the thing away from his brother, Sam dropped to the ground holding his throat. "Dean!" she shouted when the monster went for him. Another swift cut and…yes she was free. She moved to pick up the machete, but was tossed free of it. "Damn, stupid monsters!" she snarled at the thing as he gripped her shirt and hauled her to her feet. "Could say the same about you blondie."

"Baby!" Brenna Dobbs shouted at her husband. "Please, baby don't do this." she sobbed and cried pleading for her husband to stop to come back to her, despite her words Caroline could tell the woman knew that was never going to happen. He dropped her and looked at his wife Sam raised the machete and with on fatal swoop severed the head clean off.

"Why does it feel like a job left undone?" Dean murmured as he leaned against the Impala, a bottle of beer in his hands. He offered her one, she answered him with a shrug and something that wasn't even close to the answer they both wanted. "Because it isn't," she murmured leaning beside him sipping on the cold brew. They watched Sam as he tried to talk to Brenna, but she wanted nothing to do with him, it wasn't Sam's fault -even though he'll argue that point- but Brenna Dobbs couldn't be blamed for her anger either. "Will he be alright?" she asked afraid of the answer, afraid that he'll not know the answer. "Are you?" he asks instead. She has to think on that for a moment, was she okay, or was she merely just masking it all. "Okay…I think. At worst I'm working on it." Dean nodded and with a fake, reassuring -for his brothers benefit- smile that didn't even begin to reach his eyes he said, "Its all we can ask for." she had a feeling he wasn't just talking about her.


	11. Chapter 11

_/Make a Move/_

"Do you remember what I said, about what I may have to do?" he asks her, he's standing his hand running through his blond hair, she had so lovingly ran her own fingers through just a few moments before. She nods, her heart hammering away with need, with want, she wanted to go to him be at his side ease away the pain, the indecision she sees etched into those glorious blue orbs. "...What of it?" He doesn't say anything just walks swiftly to where she is sitting on his bed and grabs her up. She's so lost in the feel of his lips and hands on her neck and body as they slowly nip away all conscious thought, she forgets what they were even talking about.

* * *

><p>"Doll you wanna ride to the store?" Bobby her dear friend asked her, she looked from the book she was reading, she had been looking for something anything to help with this Mother situation. "No," she declined softly unwilling to bother Dean who was studiously working over a book himself. They had all -sans Sam that is- professed a need for 'provisions'. AKA liquor and beer. Bobby nodded and left quietly, seems to her they have been doing that lot lately, trying to be quiet that is. It was for Sam sake, Dean had been so worried about that incident back in Bristol. Worried something would trigger another break down, so worried that something would cause the wall to crumble just a bit more than it already has. It had of course, he remembered what he did to Bobby something they had to explain to her. She was down for the count when that happened. She didn't much like it, but this was Sam they were talking about so she couldn't be mad at him.<p>

"Hey, where's Bobby?" Sam asked walking into the room. Dean waved a bottle of empty wild turkey and murmured, "Out getting provisions." Sam frowned and looked out the window. "In this weather?" there was a massive storm over Sioux Falls. Dean shrugged, "Yeah, he's my hero." she had to put her hand over her mouth to contain her giggle, but they heard her, they always did. Sam looked at her a soft indulgent smile playing on the corners of his mouth. "What?" She asked confused, why was he looking at her like that? "It's just that it's been a while since we've heard you laugh." he explained with a shrug as if it wasn't a big deal. "Too long." Dean added. Sighing inwardly, _here I was thinking I was doing alright_, she thought to herself. Then, this happened, it happened so fast her head was still spinning when it stopped.

Balthazar entered the room on a flutter of wings moving about the room like a whirlwind, "Balthazar?" she asked shooting to her feet, the book falling from her hands, landing with a thud as it fell to the floor where it went unheeded. "What are you doing here?" Dean snapped, she frowned at him she didn't like it when he used that tone with...her what? Balthazar didn't answer just mumbled under his breath as he searched for various items that he threw into a conjuring bowl. "I don't have a lot of time to explain." he said. "Where is that -ah found it- I need to get you three out of here, Raphael sent an assassin after anyone who is helping Castiel. That means you three so I need to get you somewhere safe. "

She watched wide-eyed as he sliced his hand and bled into the bowl, when he was through with that he drew a symbol on the window. Turning when she heard another set of wings. "Time to go boys." A protest was on their lips, but they could say nothing, before her eyes he tossed them through the window. "Sam! Dean!" She yelled running over to the window.

* * *

><p>"Jared, Jensen! Great work!" Boomed a raspy voice. Who the hell was Jared and Jensen? Sam thought as he pushed up off the mat and looked around him, Dean was there so a plus on that. But where was Caroline and where the hell are they? He looked up at the balding big man with white hair. "That was good work guys, but I think we should have another go around. What do you think Ed?" Sam looked at the other man. "Yeah probably, but Jared has an interview and we need Candice, but she's busy on the Vampire Diaries set." The bald man nodded, "Fine, fine okay break everyone will meet back here in ten."<p>

Dean looked over at him, he looked like he was in shock. "Come on man let's get out of here and regroup." his brother murmured. Sam nodded ready to put this place behind him. Just as they were walking out Sam was stopped by a persistent woman calling him, Jared Padlecki -whatever that was. "Jared, tell your viewers what's next for supernatural." she said shoving a microphone at him. He tossed his brother the _'help me' _look, but Dean looked as confused as him. "Excuse me, but you know the drill Lesley, we can't divulge that information at this time. As much as I wish we could. Just know this, we love our fans and we promise that they will enjoy every minute of the show." says _Caroline_? Or a woman that looked like her at least, with a never wavering smile she pushed him and Dean away from the woman and her microphone. "Come on you two, let's get you to the trailers and get you settled." she murmured.

* * *

><p>"What the hell did you do?" she barked out as she looked out the window, searching for Sam and Dean, finding nothing, but wet ground. "What we had to do." Said another voice, she spun around at that voice. "Cads?" their angel friend nodded his blue eyes a bit sad. "What did you do Cass? Is there any danger at all or did you send them off for another reason?" she bit out. Balthazar moved to touch her, but she slapped his hand away. She didn't want him anywhere near her at the moment. "I told you..." He started, she cuts him off with a glare. "I know what you told me, I want my question answered Castiel, now." Cass just shook his head and looked at Balthazar, "Get her out of here brother. Raphael will know that you sent them to another universe."<p>

* * *

><p>Sam stared at the woman, <em>Candice<em>, with a slack jaw. This had to be some joke, she couldn't be serious? They couldn't honestly have been sent to another universe, and if that was the case, then how in the world did she know. "Your wondering how I know that you two aren't my Jared and Jensen aren't you?" he nodded his head his eyes wide as Dean caught his attention. His brother looked as shocked as he felt. "I know this because of the scene we are doing, the one where you crash through the window, but I don't. Balthazar kept me back, there's that and Jared and Jensen aren't exactly close, they never talk. Unless they have to."

He could see the sadness behind what she had to say, and he would bet his next winnings in poker that there was a story behind it. Her eyes strayed to Dean, there was a longing in her eyes that he hadn't expected to see, he could see it in his brother's gaze as well. That, he thinks, surprises him the most. Dean has Lisa, has made it abundantly clear that he wasn't going to leave the woman that saved him. He might just be reading to much into it, but he thinks his brother is full of crap. But Caroline loves Balthazar, it's a fierce love, one would have to be blind to not see it. Is he wrong for having that hope though?

* * *

><p>He takes her to his flat, she moves around without talking to him, she won't even acknowledge his presences. She understands that in battle one has to do things one wouldn't normally do. She understands that better than most. This isn't her first war. This was different, in this, she feels a line that shouldn't have been crossed was crossed. "Where's Bobby?" She asks. She needed to know if he was safe or if he too was thrown into an alternate universe. "Safe and unsuspecting in his shopping." He murmurs.<p>

She can feel his sorry, it's evident in his voice, but she couldn't break, she had to stay strong. "...Caroline..." She cuts him off, "No need, you told me straight up. You never lied to me." No matter how true that was she couldn't help, but feel the sting of betrayal. The backlash of it stung, it stung because now she knew there was a side to him she hadn't known before. Should it really bother her though? Should she honestly be feeling this pain? How many times has Dean done whatever he could to help Sam, how many times had Sam done the same for Dean? How many times had she herself thrown people under the bus for those that she loved? No matter how many times the logic battered her brain, battered her resolve she still felt that tangy feeling of disloyalty. "He is my brother, what would you have me do? If Raphael had gotten control of those weapons...I would, loose the only family I care for."

* * *

><p>She moved through the set with a purpose, Sam followed her and for some reason, blame it on his need to know the things he shouldn't. He couldn't help, but wonder what happened between her and their look alike. Something heavy had gone down, he was positive of that. All contemplation was cut short, however, when she pointed out the assassin. "That's him." Candice tugged on his sleeve trying to get him and Dean to leave and not bother the guy. "Better to leave things alone." she murmured. The thing is, they aren't this Jared and Jensen, and she wasn't Caroline. None of them has ever been know to leave well enough alone. No they were more known for jumping head first into danger. "Gah!" he heard her sputter as he pulled away, him and Dean chased after they guy. They needed to know if Raphael knew where they were, it was a good chance that he did, considering this guy was here. Still it was good to know where one stood.<p>

"I still can't believe you two," she murmured with a shake of her head. "Thank you Pierce, you cannot just go about beating people up all willy-nilly." the driver just smiled as he drove on. "Where to miss?" he asked. "To Mr. Padlecki's house." the rest of the ride was silent. It didn't take long to get to 'his' house and before he knew it they were standing outside a very large home. "It looks like...man this is freaking huge!" Dean exclaimed. Candice rolled her eyes and strolled into the house as if she owned it. "Well," he muttered as he looked around the place, there were huge pictures of himself, they looked like they were painted by Andy Warhol. "Dude!" his brother sputtered as he looked out the big French doors to the pool in the backyard, he had a glass of dark amber liquid in his hand. Candice was leaning against the side board a similar glass in her hand. "You've got a freaking camel in your backyard!" he sounded like an overexcited five year old.

* * *

><p>Caroline plopped down on the bed, running her fingers through her hair, pulling slightly on the locks she wondered what she was going to do. She had learned a few things today, one Cas was willing to do things he normally wouldn't. She couldn't all together blame him for it though, and the second thing she learned, was that no matter how much Balthazar cared for her it didn't compare to what he felt for his brother. Again, something he couldn't be blamed for. Not really, not in the grand scheme of things. The thing that was bothering her was that they were willing to throw Sam and Dean under the bus. It hurts that Cas would do this, they were supposed be family, family didn't do things like that to each other. Okay so that wasn't particularly true, Damon and Stefan did stuff like that to each other all the time. But, the Winchesters weren't the Salvatore's, they were different and Cas was an honorary Winchester.<p>

"Your brain is going to explode if you keep running around in circles like that." he murmured, coming back from God knows where. She had long ago become accustom to him just popping in and out, it didn't bother her. Except when Cas did it, there was always something unnerving about it when he did it. Sam and Dean felt the same way it's why the jump ten feet in the air. "I'm sorry about my mind working the way it does." she murmured, scowling up at him. She always did love men that were taller than her. "So you love me?" it was meant as a joke, the almost flippant way he said that proved it. But since they were so keen on throwing her for a loop, well then it was high time she joined in on the fun and games. "Yes." she said, getting to her feet. She bit down on her bottom lip, it drove him mad when she did that. "I don't know why you didn't know before now." She pushed away the little voice that told her that she was now entering enemy territory.

* * *

><p>Sam growled in frustration, this was the second time they had tried the spell Balthazar had used to send them here. And it was the second time that it hadn't worked. "It's not working Dean!" he snapped tossing the box of matches down in frustration. "Why isn't it working?" Candice asked, her green eyes wide. And since he was Sam and occasionally he said things, things without thinking first. He went and put his foot in his mouth. "Because you're world has no magic!" just because it was the truth doesn't mean he had meant to say it. It was a cruel thing to tell a person. That their world was just...there. There was no magic, no higher power, nothing to give yourself hope. It just was.<p>

He was reminded again of how much she wasn't like Caroline. Caroline would have tossed her shoulders back, a glare in her eyes that would rival any of Dean's, Caroline would have straight up slapped him for being such an idiot. Candice just looked at him with abject horror darkening her eyes, she just shrunk back, making him feel more like a schmuck, then he already did. "Candice I'm sorry, I didn't mean it." She nodded, but held back. She didn't want to be around them anymore and it wasn't as if he could blame her.

* * *

><p>"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm sleeping with the enemy?" she asks, mostly to herself, but on some level she really wants him to answer her. She has the bed sheet pulled up around her, knee drawn up to her chest. Her chin is in her hand as she looks out the big window at the city around them. Lights twinkling in the distance, lights in windows going on and off, every now she would see a bird fly by. Her thoughts are chaotic compared to the blissful, seemingly quiet city night. Balthazar sits up next to her, his hands dancing across her back. The sheet has pooled around his waist, barring his chest for her to see. He doesn't say anything for a moment, just sits there all quiet contemplation. "That my dear," he says finally, "is because you are." how could she have ever doubted that.<p>

Sighing he leaned back against the pile of pillows, pulling her down with him. She lands on him her fingers dancing across his chest, stopping just above his heart. She could feel the beating of it, steady and sure, their days are limited, he knows this, she knows this. It's only a matter of time. He won't put her in a position to choose between him and the brothers, and she would never put herself there. "I have to go soon." He says after a long quiet moment. "I'll take you back to Bobby's." She nodded, but neither of them move. If this was to be the last time she wanted to stay here for as long as she could.

* * *

><p>Dean was sure that after Sam blew up at Candice it would be the last time he ever saw her. He would be wrong of course, but then again when isn't he wrong? "Here." she said handing him a thick book. It looked like a script of some sort. As he handed it over to Sam, he noticed the title: 'Supernatural'. "What's this?" he asked her. Like Sam he was reminded of how much like Caroline she wasn't, but he felt differently about it. He wasn't as uncomfortable as Sam was. Dean knew her long before Sam ever did, long before she was the woman she was today. He knew her when she had been a sweet girl, when her callousness hid a heart that was as battered as his was. Kindred spirits, Stefan had called them. His words weren't untrue, but unlike Sam when he was reminded of how much like Caroline she wasn't, it's for an almost good reason. Candice reminded him of the, well <em>she reminded him of the girl he knew from before<em>.

"It's the final edition of this episode. I read it over and I think you will find something interesting." She says waving her hand towards the book in his brother's hands. He didn't miss the way Sam gripped that book, his knuckles almost white. He will never admit it, but he's proud of Sam. Proud of all that he knew and the outlook he now has on his life. He watched Sam read the script his eyes scanning over the pages. "Will it work?" Sam asked as he looked up at her, his hazel eyes hopeful. She didn't answer for a moment, her eyes landing on him. No matter how much this world was growing on him, no matter how much he wanted to stay. He knew he couldn't, it was time to go home. "I don't know." she murmured truthfully. "Everything else has failed before now. The only thing that hasn't been wrong is that script." he frowned at her. He didn't fully understand what she was getting at, Sam did however.

"She's right." His brother murmured, he sounded a bit awe struck. "Everything we have gone through, look here." He pointed excitedly to a page. Written on that page was this very conversation. "It's almost as if someone was writing it, like," he trailed of searching for the right words, "...like Chuck could." Dean took the script away from his brother, his eyes roaming over every word, every line. He wasn't wrong everything from when Balthazar sent them through the window, to what he was thinking just now. Creepy. "I didn't like it when Chuck did it, and I don't like it now." He muttered, tossing the script back at his brother. He shuddered as he ran his hand over his mouth. The feeling he had now was eerily similar to the one he had when he found out there were books about him and his brother. Every sordid detail had been in those books.

"We need something sharp, a knife preferably." he says now. "Yeah, where are we going to find anything like that. Everything here is fake." He loved his brother, he really did. Sometimes though, the boy wonder could really put his foot in his mouth. "Not everything." Candice murmured, her eyes narrowed in a glare directed at his brother. Sam frowned at her as she knelt down and pulled up her pant leg. "Magic may not be real, but monsters sure are. Just not the monsters in that script." she pulled out a wicked looking knife out of her boot. It's blade curved at the tip, it's side serrated. "Is that a bowie?" He asks her. She smiles and nods. "My dad taught me how to use it."

He slipped the knife into the waist of his jeans, Sam had run off to scout ahead. Dean knew what he was really trying to do, he was trying to give him a chance to say goodbye. Is it just him or do they do that a lot? It just seems like they are always saying goodbye to someone. "Thanks for this." he says waving his hands around. It's his way of saying thanks for everything. She doesn't say anything, just looks down at the ground. Making her blond hair fall around her face, curtaining her from his view. He doesn't know if what he is about to do is wrong or not, but he doesn't care the temptation to push her hair behind her ear was too much.

His thumb brushed against her cheek as he moved her hair, she had tiny diamonds sparkling on her cheeks when she looked up at him. "Do you have to go?" She asks him, her hand coming to rest on top of his. "Yeah, this isn't my home." _and you're not her, _went unspoken. "It was nice having you here," She says letting his hand slip away from hers. "It reminded me of how things used to be." He can completely understand that. For a brief moment he was able to pretend, and while that isn't always right. Sometimes it's what a guy needs to get through the day. Dean! Come on!" he sighs, it was time to go. He turns away from her, his feet scuffing the floor as he walks away from her. "Dean, wait!" he turns, sees her running after him. As if on instinct he catches her up in his arm, his lips melding with hers. His hands fist in her hair and for a moment he doesn't want to leave. "Dean." Sam murmured, so softly he barely heard him. He pulls away from Candice his hand brushing against her cheek. "Come on man, it's time to go." when he walks away this time, he's ready. It was time to go home.

When they arrived on the motel room set, it looked like any other crap place they have ever stayed. The only difference was this place was fake and the dead man lying on the floor. Just to check because it never hurt to be sure he knelt down and felt for a pulse. When he felt none he looked up at his brother and shook his head. "Well that's one less worry." he muttered, standing up, he brushed his hands on the tops of his thighs. "Yeah, but I figure we have another one." Sam says pointing to the sigil on the window. "Is that the same one Balthazar drew?" his brother nodded just as the sigil began to glow. "Well here goes nothing." Fisting his hand in Sam's jacket they jumped through the window.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Winchesters." He turned towards the voice and saw a youngish looking African-American woman. She was walking towards them her blank face still managing to look smug. He knew that look. "Raph, nice meat suit." he says grinning. "Couldn't find anything a bit more suitable?" Sam says grinning like him. _Ah the Winchester way_, if you can't fight make jokes. Dad perfected the art. "Funny." Raphael murmured, tossing up his hand Dean felt white hot pain shoot him, just as they were brought to their knees. "Where's the key Dean? That idiot took the wrong one, so I know that you two simians must still have it." all he received for an answer was a groan of pain.

"If I were you I would let them go." Murmured a languid voice. About time dick with wings showed up. "And why is that Balthazar?" instead of answering he just shrugged his shoulders. "Poor Raph, always the last to know anything aren't you. Left to trail behind Mike and Lucy, father worried more, over Gabe and Cas. Where did that leave you?" It didn't matter who you are, or what in this case, it had to hurt to hear your brother say things like that. "Enough." Castiel says coming onto the scene on a cloud of lighting and thunder, his wings big and black on the wall behind him. "I have the weapons now Raphael." to show this was true, Cas let's lose some of the power he held. For the first time Dean truly worried for his friend.

* * *

><p>Caroline looked at the destruction around her, Bobby was going to kick their asses if this mess didn't get cleaned up. Glass littered the floor, but most of it was outside. That could wait until tomorrow the couch was ruined. The big issue was the window, <em>what she needed was a tarp<em>. Remembering Bobby kept an extra tarp outside, she sped through the door and out into the pouring rain. Tarp, nails and hammer in hand she walked back into the house. The glass could wait, nails in her mouth she set about nailing the tarp to the wall. Once that was done she swept up the glass, and mopped up the puddles of water the rain had blown in. When everything had been cleaned up, she noticed that she was soaked she would have to change.

Just as she was about to go up and change the boys popped back into the room. "Oh thank God!" She shouted as she jumped into Sam's waiting arms. Pulling away her hands searched his face, his arms. She needed to know that he was okay that this was him. Sensing that's what she was about, he laughed and caught her hand with his. "It's me Care, we're back." She pulled him back for another hug. After what they had gone through tonight, one wasn't enough. Her hands fisted in the fabric of his jacket, goodness it was good to have them back. It was Sam that pulled away this time, he cupped his hand around her neck, his hazel eyes searching her own green one. It was as if he was checking if she was really her. Satisfied he let her go. She turned to Dean, and pulled him in for a hug. Their reunion wasn't as dramatic as her and Sam's, but it didn't matter. They were here and they were safe. Her hands splayed on his back, her eyes closed as she soaked him in. _God it was good to have them back_.


	12. Chapter 12

_**A/N:**__ sometimes I think I don't give enough warnings. So here I am giving you a BIG warning. Evil!Stefan has a big role in this chapter. Its also a bit dark not bad but enough. So please enjoy. _

_/Under Haunted Skies/_

Caroline groaned and rolled over, slapping blindly around the table for her phone. This was an ungodly hour to be calling someone, the sun wasn't even up yet. Of course her being tired could be chopped up to the long talk her and Dean had last night. With bleary eyes she looked at the clock and groaned again, she had only just gone to bed an hour ago. "This better be good it's three in the morning." She barked into the receiver, and not for the first time she was glad she practically had her own room here at Bobby's. "_Caroline_," she snapped awake when she heard that voice. It has been a long time since they had talked. "Damon?" she listened intently, jumping to her feet at one point. There was no avoiding it she had to go home for a bit. She snapped the phone shut and hopped around on one foot as she pulled her socks on. She was going to have to find an easier way of getting dressed.

Fully clothed and her duffel slung over her shoulder, she rushed down the stairs taking care to skip the one that squeaked. She looked around the dimly lit living room, Dean had opted to stay down here last night. He couldn't be on the couch, that was ruined, in her haste to find him she practically tripped over him. "Jesus Caroline!" He snapped as she stepped on his foot. "Well what the hell are you doing on the floor?" he just looked at her with eyes that were bleary, yet strangely alert. "Sorry." She whispered hastily. "Look I gotta jet." He sat up at that, he took in her clothes and the duffel slung across her shoulder. "Where are you going Caroline, it's three in the morning."

"I have to go to Mystic Falls. It's Klaus, he's back and he's brought Stefan with him."

It hadn't been easy getting away from him, he was only too willing to bring the house down with him. She understands where he is coming from, she had almost died at the hands of Klaus. That thing almost cost her everything. As much as he hated it, this was just something she was going to have to do it by herself.

* * *

><p>It took less time then, she thought to get there. Four coffee stops, and two food stops later and she was a wired mess, but at least she had made it. Shutting down the engine to the old Ford Bobby had given her, she looks out the window at the police station. She should probably be going to see Elena first, but she just had to see her mom. Two years had gone by and the last thing she had ever heard from her daughter was that she was missing. She had Damon to thank for that. Sam told her that in order to spare her mother the heartache, Elena had Damon compel her into believing she was just missing. While she had been a little aggravated that Elena had done this, she was glad for it. It saved her from having the awkward conversation on how she had come back from the dead. Considering she herself did not know.<p>

Leaving her duffel sitting in the seat she climbed out, this was going to be hard. She knew that her mom didn't approve of the life she leads, didn't approve of Sam and Dean. Her life was her choice though and, despite what her mother thought she actually liked her life. Well as much as one can that is. Taking a deep, fortifying breath she pushed through the doors to The Mystic Falls Police Station. Looking around the station she searched for the familiar blond hair. "Mom." her voice quivered. Her mother stopped in her tracks the files she held in her hands falling to the ground. "Caroline." she nodded tears burning her eyes. They walked swiftly towards each other, once Caroline had her close enough she pulled her in for the tightest hug she could give. "Momma."

"Care bear." mom murmured like she couldn't believe that she was really here. She had to close here eyes very tightly at the old nickname, too much came rushing back with it. "Yeah mom, it's me." they pulled apart her mother running her hands over her face, checking to make sure she was really there. "This isn't a dream momma." Caroline always saw her mom as this strong woman. She hadn't seen momma cry since they put daddy in the grave, it was very odd to see her crying now. "Why are you crying mom?" she asks, her thumb wiping away the tears on her cheeks. "Because my baby's back." she had to stop herself from pulling away at that statement. Her mom needed to know now that she wasn't here to stay, as much as she missed this town it wasn't her home. _Not anymore._

"Can we talk later?" mom says now. She of course nodded, she wouldn't miss the chance to actually talked to her. "Good, come by the house later." again Caroline nodded it was the only thing she could do after all. Her throat felt too tight, like something was stuck in there. She gives her mom a peck on the check and turns to walk away, but her mom calling out for her makes her stop. A hand on the doorway she looks over her shoulder at the mother she hasn't seen in too long. "You will come by won't you?"

"Count on it, momma."

* * *

><p>She pulled up in front of the old boarding house, it still looked the same. Except that one side was a little off from the other. The old house had to go under some reconstruction, considering just before Klaus left he had to do it with one last parting shot. A reminder to those that were left behind, a reminder that he was powerful. Yeah well she had something for him, so come and get it Klaus. If the mind link the Alpha had told her about was true, she hoped he heard it. She shuts the engine to the old Ford truck off, steeling herself with a deep breath she grabbed her duffel and climbed out.<p>

Standing there on the sidewalk, she looked around her for a moment. Something felt..._weird_, she couldn't put her finger on it though. Shrugging off the odd feeling she started to walk up to the old familiar house. So much had happened here, for her this place held a lot of bittersweet moments. "Caroline." a voice murmured, she spun around to see who it was, but saw no one. This wasn't like with the alpha, she had heard that voice. She also knew that voice, knew who it was in an instant. "You can come out Stefan." she watched as a figure blurred across the yard. A human wouldn't have been able to track the movements of the bronzed haired man she had once called friend. But then again she wasn't human, now was she. Calming herself with the fact that she had her gun that was loaded with wooden bullets, in the waist of her jeans she confronted him.

"Welcome home." He says eyeing her the way a predator would his prey. "I could say the same to you. What are you doing here?" he laughed circling her. She wouldn't turn around, there was no need. He was older than her, faster than her, but she was faster with a gun. "I could ask you the same thing, but I think I already have that answer." So he knows that she wants to kill Klaus, she has a major vendetta against that monster. Thankfully she hadn't inherited his more freakish habits, she was just a plain old vampire. No need to go about howling in the moonlight. "Are you here to make trouble Stefan, or are you here just for shits and giggles?" she was beginning to think that Dean was wearing off on her. The Winchester code was when you couldn't fight make jokes. John had been king of that, Dean was second to none.

"I can smell that hunter all over you, rekindle your love affair?" She sneered at him when he came to stand in front of her again. "Funny." she snapped, she was tired of these games. _Why did they always want to play games_? "To answer your question, no I'm not here for shits and giggles." Well that was good to know. She has experience with a naughty vamps idea of fun, lets just say it was anything, but. "No we're here for a higher purpose." She rolled her eyes again with the higher purpose, she had heard the same crap right up until she died. She was tired of this so-called higher purpose everyone seems to have. "Well you realize that's a bit lame right? Stefan, Stefan." She murmured shaking her head, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth. "The whole higher purpose thing." she says using quotation marks around the words higher purpose. "It is so over and done with. In fact, it has been done to death."

The grin that spreads across his mouth was slow and dangerous. Just because she was acting the way she was, didn't mean that it didn't hurt to see him act like this. The Stefan she had known was always so loving, so caring. Stefan had been a good man once upon a time. It had unnerved her when he had turned bad, it made her wonder if she could turn out the same way. "Come on Caroline, you can't tell me you don't hear her?" he asks sweetly. _Hear who_? "What are you talking about?" She asks him briskly, she was beginning to tire of this. She just wanted to go in that house and see Elena. "Well, never mind." he said, but he was clearly taken back by her question. He hid it well, but she could still see his confusion in his amber eyes. "Okay, this is boring, may I go see my friends now? Or do I have to shoot you."

He laughed, just a chuckle as he looked at the ground. When he looked back, however, his fangs were descended the thick veins protruding in his forehead and around his eyes. Hissing at her he launched himself, throwing all of his weight onto her. She hissed back as they land on the ground, the gun pressing painfully into her skin. "Don't be stupid Care. Come." She cuts him off with a bark of laughter. "If you ask me to come to the dark side I will slap you." For a moment she was sure she saw the old Stefan come back. How she missed that man. His finger's squeezed around her neck, cutting off air flow. She wiggled around until she could get her hand around her gun. Bringing it up she pressed it against his stomach and fired.

She pushed him off her, and before he could move she fired another shot between the eyes. It wouldn't kill him, but it would knock him out long enough to get him into the cellar. She looked up and saw Elena's horror struck face and Damon standing right beside her. She doesn't know what they saw, but it had to be bad if Damon was approaching her as slowly as he was. Acting as if she were a wild animal, he moved towards her. Once he was close enough he took the gun from her hands and handed it to Elena. "We need to get his ring off him." she says robotically. Damon nods as he slowly moved towards his brother. She is pretty sure she has never seen that man move so slow. "Come on Care." Elena says wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Let's get you inside."

* * *

><p>It's strange really, how a person could feel so alone even when surrounded by friends. She's sitting in an overstuffed chair, her knees drawn up to her chest. That burning feeling taking root deep into her chest. It has been there since she had decided that ending things with Balthazar would be the best thing for them all. <em>Why did life have to suck<em>? "Where's your ring?" Bonnie asks taking her hand and holding it in her warm one. "It broke, when I came back." Caroline looked down at the ring Balthazar had picked out for her, the memory of the day that Cass had put it in her hand crashing down around her. "About that." Damon murmurs, as he leans back against the couch. Elena is beside him, she is glad to see them doing so well. "How is it you are back anyhow?"

"If I could tell you that I would. A demon says he is responsible, but I highly doubt that." She says, looking at the people around her. Bonnie and Jeremy are here so are Elena and Damon. The only one missing from the group Tyler, not that she could blame him for not wanting to come to this little powwow. "Look it's a long story, but without the equally long reason." They had been over this a dozen or times and the only one with the answers wasn't talking. "Anyway." She murmured shaking off the melancholy. "We need to figure out what to do with your brother." She had never before been the one to take charge of any situation, she had always left that up to everyone else. But then Klaus came and he took her life from her, ever since then she has been stuck in the role of victim. She was so over being the victim, Sam and Dean had given her the strength to be something more. They had given her the strength to take back her life.

"Well this is a change." Jeremy muttered, like her he had his life delegated for him. Wanting more, but never having the chance to take it. She hopes that has changed for him. The last time she saw him he was turning into a fine man. "I don't think I've ever seen you like this." She gave him a small smile that he returned. "Being the victim is so overrated don't you think?" Jeremy chuckles and looks at the floor. He didn't say anything, but she could tell he agreed. "I have his ring." Damon says as he twirls the antique ring around his finger. "The thing is, Klaus will know where he is." she nodded. Standing up to pace, she puts one hand on her hip, she runs the other through her hair. "Yeah, the mind link."

"The what?" Elena asks leaning forwards. "The mind link, apparently an Alpha can speak to all the little vampire children." Damon nodded, but the others looked shocked. "I didn't know that. Damon is it true?" Again Damon nodded his blues eyes on Elena alone. "Yes, it's how I knew Klaus was coming." sighing in frustration, she plopped back down onto the overstuffed chair. This was a big mess getting bigger by the moment, maybe she should call Sam and Dean.

* * *

><p>"Look, I'm sorry for what gramps did." Gwen murmured as they circled each other, he knew she was sorry but the thing in his head was telling him kill her, pull the trigger, make her bleed. He couldn't think straight all he wanted to do was kill this woman. They had betrayed their own family, put Caroline in the hands of a monster. The shit she had suffered because of them. "Your little girlfriend is sweet and all, but are you sure she is worth killing your family over?" He lowered the gun, he was only giving her false security. When the surety that he wasn't going to kill her crossed his face, he brought the gun back up and pulled the trigger. "We're not family." As he looked down at the woman who was supposed to be family, the edges of his world began to fade. He brought his hand up to his forehead, trying to quell the dizziness. He tilted to the right and knew no more as the blackness reached up and drug him down.<p>

"Dean! Dean, man come on!" he could hear someone calling out to him, he just could find his way back. That was until someone started slapping him. "Hey! Knock it off!" He snapped smacking away his brother's hands, he sat up with a groan. "Dean…what did you do?" He noticed Sam looking behind him and turned to see what he was staring at. He saw Gwen on the floor, lying in a pool of her own blood. A gaping hole in her stomach, not being able to take it anymore and looked away. "I did that?" it came out as a question, but he already knew it to be true. He could remember everything, from when that monster took over, to the whispered words in his head.

* * *

><p>"You've changed." Elena comments, they are walking out in the garden that had been so lovingly taken care of. "For the good I hope." She says casting a smile at her friend. Truth is she knows she has changed, they all have really. "Yes," she says, but Caroline can hear the hesitation in her voice. "In some ways, you just seem so hard." Looking out over the yard towards the tree line, she thought about what Elena had said. In some ways it was true, a person doesn't go through what she did and come pout smelling like roses. Finally she turned her attention back towards her friend. "In a lot of ways I am Elena. I've had a hard life, seen things you have only seen in your worst nightmares. Hell I've been to purgatory and back." Elena looked taken back by that. She hadn't known of course that's where she had gone, no one did not even Sam and Dean. Not until recently that is. "Well I'm glad you're here now." she says wrapping an arm about her. "Me too."<p>

* * *

><p>Sam stared at his grandfather down the barrel of his gun, he tried to not listen to the things he had to say. The man was being controlled by a monster, didn't mean he could stop himself from wanting. "I can tell you about her Sam, all the things your dad never would. The stuff Dean never knew. Just put down the gun and we can talk. I'll even tell you about what you did when you didn't have your soul." Samuel was just telling him what he wanted to hear, trying to lull him. He's sad to say that it was working. Samuel could tell him everything about the mom he never knew, could tell him things dad had refused to tell him. Was it so wrong to want to know his mother, the woman who died for him? Died burning on his ceiling, he didn't think it was. He also knew that there was a very good chance that Samuel was lying, well more like the thing in him was.<p>

Knowing all this didn't stop him from lowering the gun, knowing what he did couldn't stop the want building up in his chest. It was beginning to cloud his judgment. The barrel was now pointing at Samuel's chest, his security was down that's when he pulled a gun out of nowhere. But before he could get a shot off Sam brought his own gun up and fired. He looked up as Samuel fell and saw Dean. "Sammy, you good?" Dean asks, he's in full big brother mode. He never thought that would ever sound so good. "Yeah I'm good."

* * *

><p>Later she found herself walking around the cellar, she could hear Stefan as he moved about. She knew that she would eventually need to talk to him, she just didn't want to. "Caroline." He called out to her, she watched as he slipped his hands through the bars, wrapping his long fingers around them. "Your thoughts are screaming again." She snorted as she sauntered her way over to him, her heels clicking against the concrete floor. "Stay out of my mind Stefan." Standing before the door she could see his amber-gold eyes shinning in the darkness. "Let me out of here." He says canting his head to one side, making him look more like a curious owl rather than a monster. "Not going to work, been drinking vervain on the side for years now." She knew his little game, he wasn't the first to try to play her like that.<p>

"So tell me," she says leaning against the cool wall, "What higher purpose does Klaus have." Chuckling he walks away, all she can see is his back. "My brother, and you. He wants us four to be together." Like that was going to happen. "The mother is calling us, I can't believe you don't hear her." _Ah,_ so that's _who _he had been talking about. "And you can?" she already knows about the mind link between Alpha's and their vampire children. It was good to know that this Mother could do the same. Question is, _why can't she hear it_? "Yes, I can hear her all the time." She made a little humming sound in the back of her throat as she slipped her cell out of her back pocket. She had sent a quick text to Sam an hour or so ago, and she still hadn't received anything back. "Having trouble getting a hold of your friends?"

"What do you care?" she asked scrolling through her contacts, looking for Rufus's number. She knew the old coot had met up with Bobby and the boys. "Their just a bit busy now." He says, she can no longer see him, he was probably leaning against the wall like her. She made that humming sound again as she dialed Rufus's number. "_You've reached Luther Vandross, you know what to do_."

* * *

><p>Dean battered the door to get back to Rufus and Bobby, before the thing in Bobby made him do something he was likely to regret. "We have to get in there Sam!" He snapped, as he rubbed his arm. Pushing at the door wasn't working, and since they had no other weapons he didn't know how else to get in there. "Don't you think I know that!" Sam snapped back, tension was high. They have already lost Gwen and Samuel, they couldn't lose Rufus and Bobby as well.<p>

* * *

><p>"What do you mean they're busy?" She asks slipping her phone back into her pocket. "Why do you think you're here Caroline? We used Damon to lure you here. By the end of the night they are all going to die." Launching herself at the door with a snarl, she gripped the bars. "You're lying!" He laughed, moving in front of the door. His amber eyes practically glowed in the dark room. "Am I? Try them again Caroline, try them again and see who answers."<p>

* * *

><p>One more kick and the door flew off the hinges, just as Bobby plunged the knife deep into Rufus's chest. "Bobby! No!" Sam shouted as they ran towards their old friends. Sam grabbed Bobby's arms and locked them behind his back, Dean was lucky enough to catch Rufus before he fell. This was so messed up, Caroline was going to be devastated. She loved the old man, aside from Bobby he had been the only other hunter that knew what she was and accepted her. And it wasn't only Caroline's reaction he was worried about, <em>what was Bobby going think when he learned what he had done<em>? Bobby was going to be a mess, he was going to hate himself when he came back. Shaking his head he wiped his hand over his old friends face closing his eyes, he set Rufus down and stood up to face Bobby and the monster inside.

* * *

><p>She frantically texted and dialed, every number she had for Sam, Dean, Bobby and Rufus. And nothing, she couldn't believe she was letting Stefan get to her like this. Could it be true, could they all be dying at this very moment? "Why? Why would you do <em>this<em>?" she asked looking through the bars into the dark room. She could feel the horror growing in her building until she just exploded. With a screech she threw herself at the door, but before she could do anything more stupid Damon caught her. She felt his arms wrap around her like steel bands, pulling her away as she fought to get closer. "Caroline stop! You have to stop Klaus is here!"

* * *

><p>Duct tapping Bobby to a chair had been easier than it should have been. Standing up straight he looked at his handy work, while Sam flipped the switch on the little electrical box. The only way to get the fucker out was to fry it, Bobby would understand. Taking the thick cord of wire from Sam he held to Bobby's neck. Groaning with pain the monster inside did nothing, but laugh when the pain was over. "You're all so stupid." It said distorting their friend's voice, until it was barely recognizable. "What is it you want?" Sam asked. The thing laughed, refusing to answer so he touched the cord to Bobby's neck again.<p>

* * *

><p>Caroline frantically searched her bag for the other gun she knew she had packed, she knew it was in here she just had to find it. "Hah! I knew it was in here." She crowed, as she held the cool steel in her hands. Jeremy was going to take Elena and run because he had wanted her before. And she didn't by all this crap about Klaus wanting her and Damon, it just didn't fit, Damon wasn't a blood thirsty monster -no matter how much he pretended- and neither was she even if she had the capability. While they were going to run, Damon, Bonnie and herself were going to stay and fight. "Jeremy, take this gun. Its filled with special bullets, wood mixed with silver." Jeremy took the gun in his hands, he slipped it into the waist of his jeans. "Will it work against him?" He asks, his wide brown eyes curious. "I don't know." She says truthfully. "Now, go get out of here." Jeremy snatches up his sister and they run out the back door. "You ready for this?" Bonnie asks her. Caroline nodded as she slipped the gun with the special bullets into the holster strapped to her thigh. "I was ready for this years ago."<p>

* * *

><p>"You think you're gonna win this?" The monster inside Bobby asks. Dean shrugged, it would be one hell of a fight, but sure why not. "Yeah, I think we will." The monster laughed, tossing his head back and shaking with mirth. "It was so easy to separate you three, her there you two here. If she could do it now, think about when all Caroline can hear is the mothers call? What are you going to do when she is as she was, when she first tasted the blood of the Original?" If this mother, and this monster thought it was going to be that easy to get Caroline to hurt any of them. Then they were in for a rude awaking. "Hate to tell ya dude, but you monsters have Care figured out all wrong." Sam murmured as he turned up the voltage. "I have a message for you, Winchesters." Dean couldn't help himself, he snorted. "What another one? Well come on then what is it?"<p>

"You're all gonna die." dropping the cord he wrapped duct tape around Bobby's head. If they could hold the cord long enough, they just might have a chance to fry it. But they couldn't give it an escape, this thing was they couldn't kill it if it got loose. He just hopes they don't kill Bobby in the process.

* * *

><p>With a flick of her hand Bonnie took out two of Klaus's bodyguards, Damon took out the rest. All the while she stared at Klaus down the barrel of her gun. "We end this now, Klaus." She says, her hand never wavering. She had been waiting for this moment, for so long now. It was finally in her grasp, within her realm of possibility. "Do it then, little one. If you think you can take me out then do it." Moving her aim slightly to the left, she fired her shot hitting him in the shoulder. He went down with a scream, his hand clutching at the bleeding shoulder. "Good to know it works." Damon muttered -just before he ripped a vampires heart out. With a clear head she walked over to a fallen Klaus.<p>

"You have made me into this monster." She says standing over him. His laugh came out strained, this man, this monster was always laughing. It was time to wipe the smirk off his face. She hears Bonnie scream and turns to look at her friend. She's lying on the ground clutching at her head, Damon is in the same predicament. Blood is oozing from her friends nose's, pain etched onto their pale faces. That moment of weakness is all Klaus needs, however, taking advantage of her lapse in concentration. He grabs her leg and yanks it out from under her, he wrestles the gun from her, holding it to her heart, he smiled down at her. In the same manner he did when he turned her. "Stupid child." He says, grinning like a mad man. "Did you honestly think you could best me? None of you could the first time, none of you can now."

She didn't say anything, what more could she say. She was going to die here, somehow she always knew it would end this way. End in the same manner it began, with the same vampire that turned her. She was strangely okay with that. "Do it then, you already have the barrel pointed at my heart, pull the trigger." She taunted, a smile spreading across her face. A searing pain shot through her, Klaus rolled off her, clutching his head. "Caroline." she heard the whispered words slipping through her mind like a snake. A parasite infecting everything in it's wake. But another voice blocked out the dark one, a light voice one she knew. "Come on love." The voice murmured, she could feel strong arms slipping around her, lifting her up. Darkness took over and she felt no more.

* * *

><p>"Never took Rufus for the religious type." Dean murmured. He walked over to his friend who stood solemnly next to the newly dug grave. Rufus was buried with all the respect a hunter dissevered. He had died in the line of duty and deserved no less. "There was a lot you didn't know about the old coot. Did you know, during that time you were gone he took Caroline in?" Dean shook his head, there was a lot he didn't know about that time. Sam and Caroline still wont tell him all that had gone down. "Yeah, Rufus was a good man. He saw…well never mind." Bobby broke off taking the brown bag from Dean. "Johnny Walker. This was his favorite." He knew that his friend was hurting, the way he spoke told Dean as much. "He was so mad at me, what I did it could never be forgiven."<p>

Dean didn't know what Bobby was talking about, not really. He had a general idea, the fight the two had in the past when Bobby was first starting out. "We were like you two, we fought side by side and with each other. Guess something's just can't be forgotten." No one said anything for a moment, just stood there staring at the head stone. "That's crap Bobby and you know it." He said. "Dean." Sam murmured halfheartedly, telling him in his way that he needed to stop. That Bobby didn't need this now. But Bobby did need this now, the old man needed to know that he was beginning to wallow. "You know that Rufus called you family, true sometimes you hurt people you care about. Sam and Caroline can attest to that, but your always forgiven when your family." Bobby nodded, but Dean had no idea if the other hunter even heard him.

Just as Bobby cracked the lid on the bottle they heard a flutter of wings, turning they saw Balthazar holding a limp Caroline. Her skin was pale and her hand cradled her forehead. "What happened?" Sam asked as he ran towards the two. "It was a trap." She panted. "Trying to separate us." Balthazar set her on the ground and she pulled her legs up under her. "Are you guys okay? Stefan told me what happened here." he shook his head ignoring the quelling look Sam was sending him. "Dean." she says reaching out towards him, her voice soft, a question in her green eyes. "What happened?"

No one was answering her, they all looked at each other with the exception of Bobby. Her old friend was looking behind him, but her view was blocked and she couldn't see what he could. "Bobby?" She says standing on Shaking legs, Balthazar's hands shot out to steady her but she shook them off. When she could finally see she saw a grave newly dug. "Where's Rufus?" She already knew the answer, however, she already knew that someone had been lost. "Come on Care, lets say goodbye."

_**A/N: **__eh not exactly happy with it, but it works._


	13. New Chapter

_/Devil on my shoulder, the lord is my witness/_

"Father forgive me, for I have sinned." The words fell from his lips as he closed his eyes, leaning on his palms on the counter he prays. Some thing he has not done in so long, he never lost his faith though, even when he saw his brothers kill each other in the first war. He never lost his faith when the second war came about. Still he watched. Still he kept faith, but now with so much at risk, so much riding on the outcome. He begins to waver. "Tell me what to do, tell me if I am doing the right thing." _Please father, tell me if I am wrong to choose a brother I fear is making a disastrous mistake._

* * *

><p>Leaning over Caroline turns on the little lamp beside the couch, the last few nights she has taken to reading Samuel Colts journal. Like every hunter he lived a sad life, lived in a life of blood and loss. Shaking her head she flipped through the old worn pages with care, she liked the things Colt had to say, he was a wilily bugger in his younger days. She read about the his first wife, the one that died from a werewolf attack. Actually it wasn't the werewolf that had killed her, but Samuel he had been the one to put a bullet into her read about the sassy lady hunter, she road a horse as black as night, her hair, he had described was of the same color. Evidently the hoarse and the lady were in equal parts tempestuous. Poor lady died at the hands of a wendigo in New Mexico.<p>

She ran her fingers over the yellowing pages, it would seem that she was the love of his life, his words became shorter after she died, his thoughts more stilted, more _aggressive. _The last of the Colt women -as she dubbed them- was a sweet woman by the name of Lori, she was the daughter of one of his contacts, she knew the life, knew how hard it could be. Didn't make it any easier on Samuel when she died by the hand of a truly nasty demon. Poor Samuel, such a hard life, but that was the bane of a hunters existence. Briefly she wondered where she would had fallen, if someone was reading Dean's journal, where would they place her? Quickly as that thought entered she shoved it right back out, there was no way in hell she should be thinking like that, not about Dean. Even if he no longer had Lisa, and she no longer had Balthazar.

Betrayal sharp and tangy rose up in her throat, thick as bile all to willing to choke her off. He had lied to her, led her to believe things weren't as she thought they were. _To think I thought Sam and Dean had betrayed me, _she thought bitterly. Shaking her head she found the page she was looking for, she lost track of time as she emerged herself in Samuel Colts haunting words as he searched for the demon that killed his wife Lori.

* * *

><p>Sam loped down the stairs, his long legs skipping stairs as he went. When he jumped down on the bottom step, he felt like a kid again, there was always something about being at Bobby's that made him feel better. <em>No matter how bad things got. <em>Walking into the living room he spotted Caroline asleep on the couch, an old worn book on her chest. At firs he didn't recognize it, but when he saw the devils trap etched into the front the knew it to be Samuel Colts. He knew she had taken to reading that old thing, like him she loved books, but he knew there was more to it than that. Her curiosity levels went up a few dozen notches when he told her about the recluse, she had always had a fascination with him, always found him interesting. _The man who laid lines for the future, _she had said.

Smiling he walked over to her, he reached for the book, and was surprised by a hand clasping around his wrist. He smiled again, this time reassuring when she cussed up a blue streak. "Sorry Sam," She said hastily letting go of his hand. "No prob Care, don't even mention it." she rolled her eyes at him, obviously feeling the same thing he was, but not for the same reasons. "Hey you doing alright?" He knows she's having a time of it all, what with Balthazar's betrayal. He knows it has to sting, to think you know someone only to have them turn around and slap you in the face. "I've seen better days, and the hits…well they just keep on coming." She says softly as she parks her page with a book mark, closing the old journal she set it down on the table. "But I have hope Sam, as long as I have that I'll be alright."

He smiled at the familiar saying, she was fond of that one, _as long as you have hope Sammy, you'll never lose. _"Come on," he says stretching a hand towards her to help her to stand, "you can help me make breakfast." she snorted at that as she put her arm around his waist. "You mean make breakfast, there is no way I am letting you cook. Your almost as bad as your dad." He laughed at the memory of the possessed toaster, but she was right he couldn't cook to save his life.

* * *

><p>Balthazar's gaze hardened as he looked out at the dark night, the twinkling city lights doing nothing to calm him. No it only served to strengthen his resolve, his gaze strayed to the black and white photo of a petite blond. Her hair loose as she fisted one of her hand in the golden locks, elbow resting on one raised knee, she had on one of his sweaters that was too big for her. She seemed to love wearing his clothes, the alabaster skin of her thighs seemed to glow. He had hoped that when he pushed her away, when he told her he had been lying to her, hell he even told her about him trading in souls, and the whole Titanic fiasco. That she would leave his thoughts, he had thought he had banished her forever, but it would seem he was wrong. <em>Father forgive me for what I am about to do. <em>"Forgive me Caroline."

* * *

><p>Walking down the steps he heard the laughter coming from the kitchen, it sounded like Caroline was trying to teach Sam to cook again. <em>Good luck<em>. Their laughter belied the task that was set before them, only Caroline wasn't involved. Sam and Bobby wanted to keep her in the dark. It had to do with a certain demon-cum-hunter, Red had been on the lam for about two months now. Red was also the only lead on Crowley, he was the one who could give them the answers they needed.

Red wasn't _just _a wonderful source of information, he also happened to be Caroline's friend. She wasn't going to like what they had to do, even though she whole heartily understood what a person has to do in war time, didn't mean she would excuse the torture of her friend. Nor would she understand torture, not after what she went through. But despite that or maybe because of it he felt like he should tell her, not telling her felt like he was betraying her. Sam and Bobby was of one mind on this one, and there was no gainsaying them.

* * *

><p>Caroline frowned at the road ahead of her, truth be told she has been frowning since she pulled out of Bobby's drive. Something was up, what she did not know, but she knew it was something. Bobby and Sam seemed so eager to get he out of the house, she was fairly sure it had something to do Cass. They were trying to see if he told the truth, if he really did kill Crowley. There had been something off about Cass ever since he and Balthazar sent Dean and Sam into that alternant universe. Truth be told she had noticed that he had been off for a bit longer than, that. Honestly she agreed with Dean, this was Cass, and yes some of the choices he has made were not ones Dean or Sam would have made, didn't make it likely that he was going dark side. Bobby and Sam weren't so sure. <em>Please don't let there suspicions be true, don't let Cass be so misguided. <em>

Sighing she pulled off the road at a little pay-n-go, this place was better looking than, most. Climbing out she unscrewed the gas cap and slid the nozzle in, triggering the lock she walked towards the store. She needed some food, definitely something to drink. Once done in the store she unhooked the nozzle while munching on a banana, after slipping it back in its place she climbed back into the car. She was only a couple of towns over, no more than, an hour or two away from Bobby's. _How convenient, _she mused, _to have a hunt so close. Its almost as if they were trying to get rid of me. _Checking her map, she wanted to make sure she was going the right way, once she was sure she hit the road again.

* * *

><p>Sam and Bobby only just managed to get one of the best hunters-cum-demon into a chair in the devils trap, just to be safe they tied him up and duct taped his hands to the arms. "Little Sammy Winchester, I heard you weren't in the pit no more. How <em>is <em>Lucy and Michael?" Sam didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow at the demon. Caroline had told them, when she was asked that is, that Red was no Lucifer lover. He didn't fall into it like the others did, she said he liked earth just the way it was, and had no need "_to rule the planet"_. So when the time came he joined up with Crowley, but then he heard whispers about that asshole demon capturing monsters. At first he had gone along with it, what were a few monsters to him. He hunted them down anyhow, but then something happened, and _no _she didn't know what that something was.

Sam was feeling a bit bad about all this, he had used Caroline's contact list to get to Red. "Tell us what Crowley wanted with the monsters." They already had an idea, knew he wanted purgatory. _Real estate, _Crowley had said, but Sam had a feeling there was more to it. Usually was when it came to hell spawn. "Fuck you!" Red sneered he got a face full of holy water for his troubles. "Tell me," Red said now, "tell me what Caroline is going to think when she finds out about this. And don't think she wont, that brother of yours wont keep this from her, he knows were friends." How is that anyhow? He knew they were friends, but he didn't know the back story. Just knew they met in Louisiana, that's it. Caroline isn't always so forth coming on her past. "She'll understand." He said with a shrug, sounding more convinced than, he felt that's for sure.

* * *

><p>The conversation with Cass left him feeling guilty, not just for not telling Cass what they were really doing, not just for lying to one of the real friends he had. There was another reason for the guilt, Caroline, one shouldn't lie to one's friends and well he was out right lying to her. Running his hand over his mouth, he tried to decide what he should do, tell her or leave her out. He couldn't tell Cass for obvious reasons, if Cass was really behind all this…well it didn't bare contemplating. Cass was a friend, he helped them out so much, he rebelled from heaven because of them for fucksake. Sighing he pulled his phone out of coat pocket, "Caroline…yeah you done with the job? Well you might want to meet me at Bobby's…why? Um, just meet me there." he hung up without waiting for her answer, he knows she'll come.<p>

* * *

><p>Leaving a job unfinished felt <em>wrong<em>, but considering the ghost wasn't harming anyone, just making a nuisance of himself she left. Not before telling the owners to take up residence in a motel room, she had made a call and another hunter was coming in they would take care of it for them. Simple or at least it should have been and still was, _but _she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her gut. Something in Dean's tome had set her off, he was worried about something. Her mind on overdrive she thought about all the way back to Bobby's, thanks to Dean's driving lessons she had managed to get there in record time. Pulling in behind Dean, she climbed out of her Ford as he climbed out of the Impala.

Hearing a tortured scream she looked at the house, "Is that the demon Sam and Bobby caught?" she knew what they were up to, knew they were on the hunt for information on Crowley, on whether or not he was still _alive _like the Mother had said he was. Dean nodded slowly, unwilling to look her in the eyes, something that made her wonder. "Dean, what's going on?" she asked moving slowly towards him, he looked…_guilty_, at first she thought it was this whole lying to Cass thing, but the more she thought about it the more that just _didn't _fit. "They didn't want me to tell you." he says after another moment, what did they not want him telling her? What the _hell _was going _on_? "The demon we found is a hunter," that sinking feeling grew worse, she felt bile rise in her throat threatening to cut off air flow. "You know him." She knew of only one hunter that just happened to be a demon, sure there was more, but she didn't know any. "_Red?_" she whispered hoarsely, Dean nodded finally looking her in the eyes. Without another word she ran to the steps.

She hadn't seen Red since _that day, _that day so long ago that it seems like a life time ago. Red was the one to make her accept Dean's invitation to join up with him, he was the one to tell her she needed to _live_. That Jack would have wanted it that way, so she had done what he had asked. Since then she had spoken to him briefly, mostly just to get leads on a hunt, but every now and then they would talk about old times, they would talk about _Jack_. Bursting through the door she saw Sam standing in the hallway, his eyes on the living room. She heard another scream followed by a deep sarcastic chuckle. She moved past Sam, he was to shocked to see her there so he didn't have a chance to stop her. "Red!"

* * *

><p>Sam turned to send his brother an angry glare, he told Dean that she shouldn't be here, that shouldn't witness this. What<em> was he thinking? <em>"What the hell are you doing?" She lashed out at Bobby, that brought Sam up short. It was a rarity that she ever raised her voice at the old man. Again that annoying chuckle, he looked at the demon-cum-hunter tied to the chair, Red was looking back at him a look of smug satisfaction written all over his face. "Red," she murmured kneeling down in front of the red headed demon, "you idiot, how in the hell did you get caught?" the demon shrugged his shoulders, Sam hoped he wouldn't tell just how they had gotten Red to meet them, he was pretty sure she would never forgive them. Red looked back at him, and Sam saw something flash in his hazel eyes, just before he covered it up by flicking to black. It was the same sort of something he had seen before, in Meg's eyes. What was it about Caroline, that made the most hardcore demon like her.

"Not as careful as I used to be," he said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, "they," he said now, nodding his head towards Sam and Dean, "want to know if Crowley is alive, and _what _he is doing with the monsters we take to him." she nodded that at least, she would understand. "_Is _Crowley alive Red?" she asked softly, like she was afraid of the answer. "Pretty sure he is darlin'" the accent, that wasn't there before, was suddenly prominent. He sounded like he just came from the bayou. "You _have _to tell them what they want to know Red, its important."

A soft sort of smile creased his face, a real one this time, not the sarcastic ones that had been so prevalent up till now. "I heard what happened to you Carrie," he said softly, sighing Red looked up to where Dean was standing. Sam followed the gaze he couldn't help, but wonder just what he was thinking, hopefully he was going to do what Caroline asked of him. "For you, I'll tell them for you. Look there is this hunter, well demon turned hunter anyway, he's a lot like Bobby over here. He's the one you want to find, he's the one who can help." Something in his tone told Sam that they were going to need all the luck they had in store for this.

* * *

><p>Caroline frowned severely at Bobby when he made a move to stop her, to stop her from trying to untie Red. He had given them the information they wanted, they had what they needed. There was no reason to dispatch Red back to hell, they had no idea what the demons, let alone Crowley -<em>if he was still alive that is<em>- would do to him. Red not only hunted down monsters, but his own kind, the torture would be horrific for him. Working the knots was a hard thing to do when your hands are shaking and covered in blood, growling in frustration. She knew what she had to do. "This…this is going to _hurt_." she told him waving a hand at the demon killing blade in his thigh, but it would be better than leaving it there. The longer that thing stayed embedded in his flesh, the more it would hurt. He nodded and gritted his teeth in preparation, she watched Bobby wearily as he walked over to where Sam and Dean were standing, when he reached them they walked into the kitchen for a little powwow.

Taking a deep breath she wrapped her hand around the handle, _one, two _when she mentally reached three she yanked the blade free. Flinching when he let out a blood curdling scream. Knife in hand she moved around to the back of the chair, _I feel like I'm stuck in some ghastly novel, _with a shake of her head she dispersed the thoughts. Hands still quivering she cut through the rope with the bloody knife, when the rope fell listlessly around him and then to the floor, she moved around to face him again. With a smile that wavered on her lips, she set about cutting the tape. He would heal now that the blade was free, until then he was going to need her help. Helping him to stand, he put his hands on her shoulders. Looking her in the eye, she saw that same old reassuring look in his hazel eyes, the same look he gave her when he and Jack saved her from that hoodoo priestess and priest. The same look he gave her the night _Jack _died.

Suddenly that night came flooding back to her, but ever the one not to dwell she pushed it away. That was a long time ago, another life. "Go on Red, you have to leave _now_." He nodded at that, hearing the truth of her words. "I don't know what he wants with them Carrie, but what I do know is that the four of you need to be careful. He's working with someone, who I don't know, but he's mighty powerful." She nodded, with another shaky smile she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Take care Red."

"You to doll, call me when all is safe." with that he was gone. Crossing her arms over her chest, she tried to suppress the sudden shiver that racked her body. There was something _wrong _here, she couldn't tell what it was. Taking a tentative sniff of the air, she tried to see if there was something hidden from her, but she couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary. Didn't mean that there wasn't _something _seriously wrong here, with a shake of her head at her own nonsense she turned towards the kitchen. Dean was looking at her, his eyes locked on her. Again she shuddered, not because there was something off, but because of the intensity of his gaze. Trying for a smile, _she failed horribly, _she walked into the kitchen. Bobby and Sam had some explaining to do, but that would have to wait for another day. For now they needed to get a game plan together, the time was coming she could feel it in her bones. _Something _was going to happen, and she isn't sure just what that something was, somehow she knew it was going to be _bad_.

* * *

><p>"Is it just me," Dean murmured as he walked through the front door the house, a demon equivalent to Bobby, "or does this place look familiar." Sam snorted at that, familiar was the word for it. This place out right looked like Bobby's place, only lacking the fine layer of dust every where. <em>Hmm, <em>he mused, _wonder if the demon looks like Bobby as well. _"What's wrong Caroline?" He heard Bobby mutter from behind him. "Besides the obvious?" she asked tartly, yeah she was going to be pissed at them for a while. Aside from that he could hear _something _else coloring her words, using a phrase from Bobby, she was as jittery as a mare. "I don't know, something just feels…_wrong._" He'd have to agree with her there, something was wrong. They had been expecting the place to be teeming with demons, at the very least they had expected the head honcho to be around, but there was nothing. No research, conjuring bowls, just empty space, the place looked clean, _too clean_.

"Well someone was here, but whoever it was is long gone." Bobby says as he walks over to a table against a wall. "We sure this is the right place?" Dean asks, and when Sam looks he sees that his brother has eyes for Caroline alone. "Red wouldn't lie to me." A statement of facts as she saw it, her quirked eyebrow told them that Red would have been all to willing to lie to _them_, just not her. Sighing mentally he wondered how long she was going to drag this out, Caroline will be Caroline and she will deal out her punishment when she saw fit. He was about to say something when a demon tackled her to the ground, she let out a startled screech, Bobby was the next to fall, before he could even move he was hit up side the head. It all happened so fast, he was fighting for his life, knew the others were as well. And then the next thing you know the demon is being lifted off of him, bright white light burning out his eyes and coming out of his mouth.

"Sammy!" Caroline hollered for him, sounding scared out of her wits. "Oh thank god!" She murmured yanking him to his feet and pulling him in for a bone crushing hug. "Care," He huffed, when she didn't answer him he had to pound her back a little, "Care I…cant…breath." She let him go with a little "oh" looking up at him with a sheepish look. Shaking his head he ran over to check out Dean, who was talking to their savior of the moment Cass, Caroline looked in on Bobby. With one last look over his shoulder he watched as she gave him the same treatment. "Thanks Cass, you really saved our asses." He said, unknowingly echoing his brothers words from only a moment ago. "Yeah man I gotta say we really owe you one."

"Yeah like an apology," Bobby says as he and Caroline join them. "An apology?" Cass murmured his head cocked to one side like a curious terrier. "Yeah man, to be honest we thought you had done and gone dark side on us." Cass laughed and gave a shake of his, that should have been his first clue something was wrong. In all this time he doesn't ever remember seeing Cass laugh. Caroline's brow came down in a deep frown, showing her confusion. They all chorused a rounds of sorry. "Don't worry about it, its me, just me. Its not like superman went dark side or anything." _How did he know that, how could have used the same analogy that Bobby used only this afternoon? _"Yeah right," Dean murmured, looking at his brother Sam knew just how Cass knew. He had been listening in on their conversation, he knew just what went down at Bobby's because he _had been there. _"Better hide the kryptonite, huh?" Cass smiled and nodded. _Crap._

* * *

><p><em>He's working with someone, who I don't know, but he's mighty powerful. <em>Red's words came back to haunt her in that moment, _fuck!_ Trying for a rueful smile to cover what she was felling, she peeked at him from the cover of her eyelashes, trying to gage his reaction to them. He had to know something was off, he had to know that he said something he shouldn't. She felt the energy in the room shift from jovial relief to tension so thick one could cut it with a knife. Cass looked at each of them, his gaze lingering on Dean. At the emotions that flitted across his features, Caroline wondered what they meant, including the last- was it regret? "I must go." And he did just that before Dean could stop him.

* * *

><p>Balthazar stood by the big picture window, looking out at it with blind eyes. He was still trying to make a decision, still trying to understand just where he stood in all of this. Up till now he had been backing Castiel, his little brother. The only brother, if truth be told, that he had any real feelings for, any familial emotions towards. The rest of his brethren, <em>Gabriel and Castiel excluded<em>, were nothing more than, soldiers following orders, children that must be led by the hand into all things. For some reason or another father had given, Gabriel, Raphael, Lucifer, Castiel and him the ability to do for themselves. He had given them the chance to choose as they wished, why he had no clue whatsoever.

His brother Castiel was going down a road that had little to none redemption, _the path to hell is paved with good intentions. _Was his path already marked, was death coming for him? Only if he chose the wrong side, the problem with that was he did not yet know _which _one wasthe right path. His blind faith in Castiel was beginning to waver, he knew his brother was headed down a dangerous path, but he was so sure that it was a road he must take, was so sure that it was the only option open to him. He must save his brethren, he must save heaven from Raphael who was openly destroying heaven in his warpath. _Some sign father, please just give me a sign._

* * *

><p>Caroline sat down on the floor crossing her legs before her, beer in one hand phone in the other she tried calling Red. She just wanted to check up on him, wanted to see if he was healing well. Who knew what effect the demon killing blade had on him, <em>just need to make sure is all, <em>but as she dialed his number she had a sinking feeling in her gut. The same feeling that had been bothering all day, what that problem was she had no idea, but she hoped that she never had to find out. Sighing when he didn't answer she closed her phone, looking up and out the window, she watched as the sun began to disappear beyond the horizon. This whole situation was so messed up, while she agreed with Sam _and _Bobby that Cass had gone dark side, or at the very least was going down that road. She like Dean wanted, no needed, to believe that it wasn't true.

This was the same angel that brought Dean back to them, for whatever the reason, this was the same angel that rebelled for Dean. He put his very life on the line for team free will, and became a very important member in the process. _Did he know, _she pondered, _did he know Crowley had her, was torturing her? _If that was the case why did he leave her there in the hands of a monster, why did he not tell Dean or even Balthazar? Even though it was now confirmed that Cass was dark side, she had a hard time believing _that _was possible. He wouldn't work with Crowley would he? Red was one thing, he had been walking the earth for a good century or more, he had a wife and kids once upon a time. He had no wish to live the same blood and guts life that most demons lived. He didn't even take up the hunter trade until the death of his family at the hands of another demon.

Crowley was a whole other matter, Crowley was openly cruel, he enjoyed gathering souls for the pit, enjoyed hurting people. She knows she had first hand experience, by the time night fell she still had no answers. The house was silent, no one daring to talk least the thrall encompassing them all be broken. Dean was the most wounded by the betrayal, he was the one who hurt the most. Out of the four of them him and Cass had been the closest. It was a bond that she had once though could not be broken, guess she was wrong. _Pity. _Eyeing Dean as he came over to her and sat down, still they did not speak.

Without a word she reached over and clasped her hand over his, silently telling him, _we're here, no matter what happens from here on out you have us. _he tried for a grateful smile, but it came out a bit bitter looking, like he had been sucking on a lemon. The words _I love you, _came unbidden to her mind. She slapped them away from her like an annoying fly, this was no time for those sort of feelings, whatever lay behind them. When night took a firm hold on the world Bobby looked up from the floor, "I think its time you call down angel boy." Without a word Dean bowed his head, and earnestly began to pray for Castiel.

* * *

><p>By the time that Cass appeared she was convinced that he was heading down a very dangerous path, like she had told Sam once <em>the path to hell is paved with good intentions. <em>She firmly believed that Cass thought he was doing the right thing, that he had to travel down this road to save his home, his brothers and sisters. "You have need of me?" He inquired looking at Dean, who was studiously looking else where. She heard Bobby sigh, he stood up and took the reigns because Dean seemed unable to. "Yeah, you can stay there for a minute." He says as he tossed a lighter down, igniting the holy oil, effectively trapping Castiel in the ring of fire.

"What did you do Cass? What did you do." Dean asked looking at her for a moment before turning in the direction of his friend. Was he, like her, wondering if Castiel knew that Crowley had taken her prisoner? Was he, like her, hoping it wasn't true? _Please, _she implored to whoever was out there listening, _please let us be wrong. Let whatever Castiel had to say be something other than what we are thinking. _She had to have hope, without hope there was no point to living, to life, but that hope would be dashed and so would Dean's. "I am sorry Dean," Castiel murmured, not even bothering to pretend anymore. "What would you have me do?"

"You can start by telling us _why_." She said softly as she came to stand next to Dean, she reached for him and he took her hand and held it behind his back. Squeezing his hand, she offered him silent comfort. Mutely telling him _everything is going to work out for the best. _Looking each of them in turn before looking out the very same window Dean had looked out only a moment before, he began his tale. Starting with his return to earth, how God had put him back together, with extra added in for good measure. He told them about his return to heaven after healing first Bobby then Dean, he explained how he told his brethren about what happened, how God had wanted them to choose for themselves, how _they just_ _did not understand. _

By the time he got to the tale of his meeting with Raphael, she was almost with him, almost ready to side with him. She understood better than, most the things one must do during war time. He explained what Raphael wanted him to do, how he just couldn't do it, not after almost loosing to Michael and Lucifer. He wouldn't do that to Dean and Sam, not again, not after The Great Sacrifice Sam had made. How could he Sam who had given up his life to save the planet, and Dean who had given up his brother ever be willing to do such a thing. No greater sacrifice could be asked of his fathers favorite creations, no greater sacrifice could be asked of the Winchesters who had already lost _so much_. He just could not do it. She looked to Dean for a moment, trying to gage his reaction, wondering what he was thinking, but could find no clue in the mask he hid behind.

"You _could _have come to _me_." She could hear the subtle emphasis one the word "me" and knew what it meant, how come Cass hadn't come to him when he was in trouble, when he figured he might be in over his head. That lead Cass into another tale, how could he possibly ask such a thing from the only true friend he had, when he seemed so happy to be with Lisa and Ben. A chance at normal, a gift every hunter prays for, but a gift that is rarely granted. How could he do that, even so he had wanted to, if anyone could understand him, if anyone would be willing to help it would be Dean. Crowley, like the snake that enticed the first woman, showed up in the middle of him trying to get enough nerve. He was wavering, he told them, and Crowley saw his chance. So they struck up a deal, they would split the souls of purgatory, and for a bit of motivation Crowley would give him fifty-thousand souls. Souls that he was taking into himself, to become stronger. "It's the only way," Castiel was saying now, his tone imploring not just them, but Dean.

* * *

><p>"I have to stop Raphael, he is destroying heaven in his warpath, he is killing our brethren. All just to bring me to my knees and bring about the original plan." How was he supposed to take this, how was he supposed to react. Through it all he has has never abandoned the few friends that he has, sure sometimes he ask to much of them, had a tendency to forget that the friends he has aren't superman, that they need help as well. But he has <em>never <em>told them he wouldn't help, all Cass had to do was ask. Didn't this angel who had learned so much learn the most important lesson of all? Never deal with a demon, they'll stab you in the back eventually, throw you to the wolves, shit they'll take you down a path a person has no business going down. Let alone an angel.

Cass looked out the window and Dean followed his gaze, narrowing his eyes, he couldn't believe what he was seeing, this couldn't be right. "You four need to go, Crowley is coming." With one last glance at the angel he has called friend for almost three years, he grabbed Caroline's hand and led them out of the house. Within a few moments they had all piled into the Impala, Caroline and Bobby in the back Sam at his side, he thrust the car into drive and flew off as the thick black cloud burst through the front door of the house they had just vacated. _What were they going to do now, what was he going to do now? _


End file.
